Revenge Isn't Everything
by TempusToki
Summary: Dumbledore is dead.Voldemort is powerful and his army is growing.The Golden Trio has been preparing for the war for six years,but will their plans fall when a secret friend of Hermione's shows up on their doorstep in need of help? Can he be
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Hiding Hedges

Haha" Hermione laughed as she and Viktor walked out of the castle towards the lake to take a stroll. "Stop it, I can't laugh anymore after that little dancing fiasco with Romilda whats-her-face"

"Vat? It is true. That Malfoy vould not stop looking at you." Viktor put his arm around Hermione's waist hesitantly, and when she didn't pull away, he tightened up his hold instead of letting his arm hang loosely beside her. "And by the vay, that Romilda could take a few lessons on being a _little_ more subtle"

Hermione giggled. Not an hour into the dance had some Gryffindor girl, who had come with a Ravenclaw sixth year whom Hermione did not know, named Romilda had been shamelessly throwing herself at Viktor, trying to literally get in between him and Hermione. Hermione had to finally leave Viktor to and find Rmilda's original date, who was with his friends, taking bets on the upcoming task.

"Well then he must have been wondering how a mudblood like me was your date for tonight." Hermione tried to laugh off as she leaned in a little, allowing Viktor to wrap his arm around her waist a little more.

"Vat are you talking about? He vas vondering how he could have let me get you before he had the chance." Viktor smiled as he looked down at Hermione's blushing face. Her beautiful, flowy, periwinkle-blue robes seemed to shine in the moonlight.

Hermione felt his eyes on her tomato-red face and began to blush a bit more, if possible. She tried to turn away, but Viktor stopped walking all of a sudden. Hermione didn't realize this and continued walking, though, until his hand slid around her waist and fell into her hand. He gave a soft pull and brought Hermione into his arms. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the look Viktor was giving her. He gazed deeply into her eyes. Hermione suddenly heard a noise in the distance and snapped out of the trance that Viktor's deep eyes seemed to have over her.

"What was that?" she said, flipping around, blocking Viktor from the direction that the noise had come from. She whipped her wand out of the sleeve of her robes.

"Vere you expecting an attack?" Viktor lightly mocked about the wand.

"Stay here Viktor," Hermione said as she stepped lightly towards the Slytherin bleachers.

Viktor was about to take a step to follow her, but Hermione pushed him away, giving him a threatening look.

"Viktor, this may be the person who put Harry's name in the goblet. It might be dangerous, You stay here and if I'm not back soon, I want you to go get Harry or Ron." Hermione said seriously. Viktor slowly nodded, not understanding why Hermione would not let him go.

"But Herm-ow-"

"No." she interrupted sternly. Hermione continued her walk towards the bleachers. The main reason why she actually wanted to go alone was in case it was Sirius, or if it was something involving Voldemort.

"But Drakie, what do you think it is?" Hermione heard a shrill voice ask from under the bleachers.

"I don't know Pansy," it was Malfoy! He sighed, "but father sounds serious, and by his letter, a little frightened"

Hermione could not believe what she was hearing! This was a goldmine of information. Wait until Ron and Harry heard this.

"Well, did he hint anything? I mean, did he say if the Dark Lord will be-" the shrill voice asked.

"_Pansy_, do you honestly think that my father would be stupid enough to tell me by owl, or any way that is not in the privacy of the manor?" Malfoy said. He sighed, "And for goodness sake, _don't_ speak so loud. I think I might have seen a few people over by the goalposts across the field."

"Oh don't worry Draco," Pansy sighed. It was obvious that she thought that Malfoy was being paranoid. "Besides, I think it was a couple. Don't worry, they're probably just snogging or something."

"Listen, Pansy, why don't you go back to the dance. I need to do something," Malfoy finally said after a time of silence.

Pansy sighed and walked out from their hidden spot. Hermione hid behind the corner as she watched Pansy walk briskly past her. Hermione tried to control her urge to laugh at Pansy's frilly, pale pink robes as they caught under one of her shoes.

Hermione heard Draco punch one of the rafters. The whole thing began to shake a bit, but nothing happened. Hermione was about to head back to Viktor to bring him back to the dance to tell Harry and Ron what she had overheard when suddenly one of the Slytherin banners hanging from the rafters fell onto her, trapping her under the green and silver fabric.

"OOMPH!" she said a little too loudly, because all of a sudden she saw a bit of Malfoy's shoes from underneath her material prison.

"Pnnsy, I thought I told you to go ahead to the party." He said quietly before sighing.

Hermione tried to say something, but her words were muffled by the mound of dirt and grass in her mouth. She tried to move some of the banner off of her so that she could stoop low enough as to ask Malfoy for help, but failed and hoped that he would notice.

"Listen, Pans, I know hat you're worried about me, but don't be. I'm serious. I can take care of myself. " Hermione saw him on his toes. She assumed that he was squatting. "C'mon, I know that you're in there. Now just come out and we can continue to pretend to be happy for our parents. Woo hoo!"

Hermione's head shot up about two centimeters, which was about as high up as it would go. Malfoy was pretending to be happy for his father?

"Okay, so how about after we can go for a walk, I know you want to do that. We can go nick some food from the ball and throw it at the squid?" Hermione wiggled a little more from where she was. "PANS! Stop it, please. You know that I can't take your neediness. Your cries for attention. Your constant dependency. Why can't you just understand that sometimes moving the focus away doesn't help? Well, with Granger, that's a different story. I still can't believe father told me about great-great granddad Ignatius. Who would have thought that a Malfoy would have anything to do with a muggle-born." Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing! She heard Malfoy let out a deep sigh. "I swear, if anyone knew this, wow, I don't know what I would do. Pans, listen, just stop trying to get the attention. Just get up. _sniff_ I think I'm ready to take you up on your offer and talk."

"Ml-moy" Hermione finally got out.

"Pans?" Malfoy could tell that this wasn't Pansy.

"Mlp!"

"Who the hell are you?" Malfoy demanded.

"My-mah-me! Mlz!" The weight of the banner was becoming unbearable.

"Granger?" Malfoy jumped up. He could not believe what he had just told her! He quickly pulled the banner off of her, but before she could move or even think, he grabbed each of her upper arms and held her close to him as he pulled her up. "What the hall were you doing spying on me little mudblood?" he asked in a deathly silent whisper.

"I-I don't know. The banner was pretty heavy. I didn't even realize it was you until you just now called me Pansy." Hermione lied.

"Mudblood, I don't need this shit" Malfoy let go of her arms as he turned away from her.

"Malfoy," Hermione put her hand on his shoulder, "I know I may not be Pansy, but I can swear to secrecy if you ev-"

"I don't need your sympathy. I bet you're gonna go tell Potty and Weasel about all of this and then the three of you will re-open your little mystery solving club and find out about Ignatius Malfoy" Malfoy whipped around and faced her. Their faces were inches apart. "Well don't bother. I doubt there are any records of him remaining in the world. Forget everything you have heard or else." He turned away to begin to walk out, but Hermione was too quick for him.

"Petrificus Totalus!" She called. She walked over to face one of her greater enemies. "Look, Malfoy. I know what you're probably thinking. But, I just want you to know that no matter what house you're in, no matter what a bitch you are, no matter who you even are, I will _always_ be there for anyone who needs it." She turned around and walked back to Viktor, un-petrifying Malfoy as soon as she was far enough.

"Vat vas it Herm-own-ninny?" Viktor asked as Hermione came back to him. He put his arms around her.

"Just a couple of students. It was my mistake, but they were doing something to the Slytherin bleachers so I had to fix it after they left." Hermione lied. "Let's go back to the ball."

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that little bit of the Yule Ball that no one knew about. Please R&R. I expect at least 10 reviews by my next update

Millies


	2. Dreamy Encounters

Chapter Two: Dreamy Encounters

"Just a couple of students. It was my mistake, but they were doing something to the Slytherin bleachers so I had to fix it after they left." The words echoed in her head as Hermione bade Viktor good night. It was his last day before leaving and she promised him that she would spend some time with him before Harry left the infirmary.

"Her-own-ninny, vhy are you so silent?" Viktor asked her after a few minutes of silence.

"What?" Hermione snapped back into reality. "Oh, nothing, sorry. I guess I was just spacing out. After all, Harry is one of my best friends and he just went through. I'm sorry." In truth, she was wondering why she had not told anyone about the night at the Yule Ball.

"Shh," Viktor cupped Hermione's chin with his hand and looked into her chocolate brown and hazel eyes. "Don't keep apologizing if you have done nothing." Hermione smiled at him. Other than Ron or Harry, Viktor was the only guy that she ever felt truly comfortable around. The only guy she truly spoke and opened up to, only this was more than with Ron or Harry, though it did not feel so different.

"Oh, Viktor" Hermione sighed, "I still can't believe that you're leaving."

"I asked you if you wanted to spend a few veeks of your summer vith me. I asked my coach and he will be letting me take six veeks off of training, but only if you say yes. That is the only vay I vill." Viktor took Hermione's hands into his own and searched his eyes. Over the past few months a bond had formed between the two, but Hermione was afraid to allow it to progress too far. She felt s strong feeling for him, but was unsure if it was any more than a 'still good friends' break-up feeling, no matter how much she liked it. "I vill not make my decision until you make yours."

"Viktor, I told you, after all that has happened, I don't thin-" Hermione began.

"I vill not take that as an excuse. Even at the Yule Ball, you do not think I can take care of myself. I vill be okay." He sighed before letting out a small laugh. "Is not the man supposed to do the protecting?"

Hermione smiled. "I'm sorry, Mr. Krum. I did not realize that the year was 1805. I must have been dreaming that it was the new millennium."

"Herm-own-ninny, oh how I will miss you if you do not say yes."

"Well then you will have to miss me." Tears formed in Hermione's eyes.

"But-" Hermione kissed Viktor before he could finish what he was saying. "Vhy must you do that every time you vant me to shut up?" She kissed him again. "Not even one veek?"

Hermione looked at Viktor's pleading eyes. He had been the first to fall. He cared more deeply for her than any other boy ever had.

"I'll see" Hermione answered quietly. Truth be known, she wanted to scream it rather than whisper, but she was afraid that it would blind her if she tried to imagine this as anything more until she was positive.

The two began to kiss. Hermione felt a swirling sensation and opened her eyes. She looked around the large garden. No one ever seemed to go back there. The place was just as it was during the Yule ball. Easily hidable, secretive, and beautiful. There was a certain spot that Hermione always loved to go to. It was a small hedge maze, similar to the maze from the third task from her fourth year. Harry and Ron were in the common room, finishing their potions essays due tomorrow. Hermione enjoyed these little moments she had to herself. The boys thought that she was in the library, reading. This gave her as much time as she wanted, well, until eleven.

Hermione began to hum as she rounded one of the corners, but came to a halt when she heard hushed voices. She immediately stopped all noise and pressed her body quietly up against the hedges as she tried to hear what the people were saying. Ever since the Yule Ball last year, she was always on the lookout for something.

"Pansy, are you sure?" Hermione heard.

"Blaise, this is _exactly_ what he told me. Didn't you say that he told you what it said?" Pansy sighed.

"Nah, I lied. He also told me to fuck off and, if I did not mis-hear, he told me to put my fucking nose up where the fuck it is my fucking business. Give or take a fuck." Hermione was astonished that she was hearing of Malfoy cursing out a fellow Slytherin. "But that's besides the point. The house depends on its leader and its leader depends on his line and power. We must know what he is hiding. What the letter was about."

"I know that," Pansy hissed, "but until he talks, _no one_ knows. No one even knows _about_ _this_. Now listen, I happen to know, though, that it has to do with Granger. After the Yule Ball when he got back to the dungeons he was muttering something about her."

"Well his great grandpa or something had some kind of relation with Granger's great aunt or something." Blaise said casually. Hermione bit her lip.

'Great aunt Clarice?' Hermione thought. She had found out this summer that her great-great-aunt, had a bad encounter with the magical world when she was about Hermione's age in the early twenties.

"Oh, yeah Blaise, that's _nothing_. It's totally something that you don't even think of telling me! Like it _nothing_ to do with _anything_!" Pansy almost yelled.

"What? What I heard was that this guy cursed some lady she's related to in 1922. Something about a lover or something." He said without second thought.

"Okay, Blaise, something you should know about this whole thing is that anything you know, _anything_, you tell me." Pansy said in a stern voice. "Understand? Good. Another thing is that anything you can find out, any connection, you tell me."

Hermione could not believe what she was hearing.

"Shh, I hear someone coming." Pansy whispered. Hermione got scared, thinking that they had heard her, but she then heard footsteps coming from beside her.

Hermione tapped herself on her head and soon felt as though an egg had cracked over it. She looked down at her hand and saw that the Disillusion Charm Lupin had taught her had worked.

"Shit, I think it's Draco!" Blaise whispered.

Hermione heard the two Slytherins run in the opposite direction. She turned towards Malfoy and saw that he was shaking as he nervously walked towards her. He didn't seem to have seen Hermione from the distance. He was apparently focused on a piece of parchment in his hands.

As Malfoy neared closer, Hermione's need to know what was going on grew stronger. He rounded the corner past Hermione, not noticing the invisible blob that was the last person he wanted to see. He sat down and fumbled with the parchment as Hermione quietly walked behind him and hid in the small shadow behind the tree to Malfoy's right.

"Now or never," she heard him mumble as he fumbled with the seal. Hermione leaned over to try to read over his shoulder, but had trouble making out most of the words.

Son

Your loyalties are ……………...… The Dark Lord shall…………..….. In due time……………………………….. mudblood should have to wait ………………………… not to be known ………………… Azkaban …………. your future ………….……….. moment in your life ……..………. most important time……………….…………. the curse of ..…………………..…………. not to be in this letter, but ………………………………………………. Ignatius and Clarice …………….. unknown bond ………….……………….. no one ……………..………. to be left unknown ……………….…………….. not known ……………..………. investigation …………….…………… your future ……………….……… clouded judgement ………………….……………….. unbreakable and unavoidable unless ……………………….. love. How despicable! ……………………..…. and spit on the thought ……………….…….. Do not think or worry about ………..………….. drawn attention ……………………….. unnecessary ………………….…… added stress ……...……...…. your future …………………………….. your life! If ... fail...consequences. Consequences beyond ... human ... Death ………………………………………... downfall! ………………………… doestroy ………………………………………………….. destroyed in the fire ………………….. following generation …………… reincarnated ……………………. only if ……...…… mudblood …………...… illy of …………………………………………………………….. newfound curiosity ………………… very disturbing ……………...… stop or …………...….. suspicions! Do you wish …………………………………… follow the ……...…………. hide ………...…….. horrible past …………………. tainted heritage …………………………………………. unknown to all ……………… Granger girl …………………. bushy, mudblood head out …..………...… stay ignorant …………………………. Try to break the bond before …………….. and it is too late.

Your Father

Lucius

Hermione tried to read more, but the handwriting was almost illegible. She could not believe, though, what she _was_ able to read, though she was even more curious as to what she couldn't.

Suddenly, Hermione saw Malfoy begin to shake again, more furiously than before. Hermioine could not help but feel sorry for him, after all, he read the whole note. The note that had her name in it. And her relative's. The note mentioned a curse._ The_ curse. The one thing that haunted her dreams more than the day she, Ron and Harry would be in the battle against Voldemort and his followers.

"Why?" She suddenly heard Malfoy cry. Only, he didn't cry as in scream it. He cried it as if he was actually crying, with tears. "Why the fuck me?" He crumpled up the parchment and threw it. He put his face in his hands and began to shake his head.

Hermione could not help it, but she took the charm off as she stepped forward, picking up the parchment at her feet. "Malfoy?" She asked quietly, uncrumbling the paper as she stood behind him quietly. "Are you okay?"

To her surprise, he didn't move, he just sat there, taking his face out of his hands and looked ahead. His face was blank, as though he was mentally hiding himself from the world so that no emotion or thought would be able to be detected.

Hermione took a few steps around the bench and kneeled down in front of Malfoy. She looked up into his steel blue eyes. She tried to search them for something, anything. He saw what she was doing and turned his head away.

"_What_ do _you_ want?" He asked. His voice was hard, stern, yet still distant.

"Mal-Draco, do you remember last year at the Yule Ball, I told you that I would help anyone who needed it." Her voice was soft as she tried to get him to look at her as she asked her question, but refused to be forceful or aggressive. "What I meant was, I know I may not be Pansy, or some pureblood Slytherin, but if you haven't noticed, there haven't been any rumors of the Great Draco Malfoy saving Mudblood Granger, or anyone asking about Ignatius," His eyes flickered at the mention of his good-for-nothing great-great grandfather. "but if you were to ask about Clarice, or _anything_-"

"I do _not_ need your help. I know what I need to know." De interrupted sternly.

"Listen" Hermione demanded sternly as she rose up nigh enough to look Malfoy in the eye, "I don't know what your problem with you is. I try to be nice when you obviously don't have anyone else to talk to. I am now for the third time trying to be your friend. Could you at least give me an excuse not to even say a civil word to me?"

"B-"

"Other than blood."

"Listen, Granger," Malfoy stood up quickly and looked down at the bushy haired girl he refused to befriend, "I can't befriend you, and I certainly do not want to, so you might as well give up."

"Well, see, here's the annoying thing about Gryffindors," Hermione slowly stood up and looked down into Malfoy's eyes, "we don't know the meaning of the words. 'Give up' is not in our vocabulary."

"Don't make jokes Granger," he spit at her. "this is a little more than I'm sure your little mudblood brain can comprehend."

"_Don't_ call me that," Hermione whipped out her wand and aimed it over her head at Malfoy's face. "_ever_."

"You wouldn't dare, _Mud. Blood._"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione called out. Malfoy's body suddenly could not move. His arms were pinned to his sides and his legs were stuck together. "So here we are again," she whispered quietly. "We both know that I don't want to be a bitch, but can you just please for once try to actually talk? I know a spell that will un-petrify your head. Now you can use it to talk, or scream for help, because I am in a very good mood." She quietly said the spell.

"What do you want with me mudblood?" Malfoy said, accepting his defeat, and letting it be known.

"Just to know why you are so upset. Believe it or not, but I actually care and I can tell that you need to tell someone."

"Well you aren't exactly my first choice."

"I know. But I also know someone who you can talk to, that is, if you want to." Hermione meant the one person who would not only listen, but not tell a soul.

"What do you mean?" Malfoy sounded interested, though he tried to hide it.

"Be in the prefect's toilet tomorrow morning during breakfast. She'll be there." Hermione knew exactly what she was going to do..

The two looked at each other, each trying to read the other's face.

"I want to try you" Malfoy finally said. It had been a while since anyone had said anything. His voice had a drip of hopefulness.

"What?" Hermione was taken aback.

"I think I want to take you up." Hermione could tell that he was hesitant, but trying to hide a smile. "but only to be sure that I can trust your friend." He finished quickly.

Hermione smiled as she closed her eyes and lifted her wand to un-petrify Draco so that they could sit on the bench.

When she opened her eyes, she pulled her cloak closer to her. It was the beginning of spring, but the day was chilly. She looked around for Draco. Over the past few weeks when they spoke something broke between them. It was the barrier separating them.

Suddenly, she saw him walking towards her from the distance and something inside of her jumped. Theirs' wasn't a friendship like she had with Harry and Ron, but it wasn't like the one she had with Viktor either. They spoke about everything they could. From Draco to school, to muggles and muggle society. The two even did homework together sometimes. Draco, though, still had not opened up to Hermione fully. The deepest he ever got about himself was telling her that his family was never close and that he has been forced into being a straight A student since he was a child.

"Drake!" Hermione quietly called out. The two decided that it was still too soon to be calling each other by their first names, but they should not be still on the last-name basis. The two gave each other names similar to their first names to call each other in secret.

"Mye!" Draco whisper-called back. He rushed over to Hermione, and pulled her slowly into the hedges.

Hermione was about to ask him what was going on, but she suddenly heard footsteps from outside the hedges.

"Pansy, I still don't see why we have to come all the way out here to talk. It's not like anyone's at the pitch or somewhere I wouldn't be humiliated being caught in." Hermione heard Blaise almost whine.

"Listen Blaise," Pansy replied sternly, "Draco has been disappearing for hours at a time lately and we need to know why. I've checked the library, kitchens, that stupid room his father told him about, he's never _anywhere_."

"Well maybe he's off getting some" Blaise mumbled.

"Oh shut up Blaise! Draco is our friend and if he's doing something that we don't know about, then it is big and we must find out what it is."

"I am going to tell you for the _millionth_ time, if we don't know about it it's probably because it _isn't_ important. Why the hell else wouldn't he tell us unless it would just be a waste of time? Think about it!"

"Ever since we were little kids, Draco has told me not only everything, but _everything_. He tells me every single solitary thing he does and when he does it. He even tells me when he's going 'skirt chasing', which I don't truly appreciate." Pansy sighed. "Besides, we need to help him out with next year if he wants to succeed, but first we need to know what the hell he's doing! Not even to succeed, but to survive."

"Okay, Pansy, I want to _gooo_. So I am going to go to the kitchens, nick some food, and do McGonagall's thirteen inch essay. She's going to give me detention until we graduate if I miss one more homework." Blaise said. Hermione saw his shadow turn and walk away, but Pansy's lingered for a few minutes.

When she finally left, Draco took Hermione by the hand and began to lead her over to their usual bench.

"Um, Mye-" Draco slowly began. He didn't know what to say. What if she wanted to know what his moronic friends were talking about with the whole surviving next year thing.

"No, it's okay. You don't have to explain." Draco smiled at this. She was always so understanding. It had taken him a while to trust her and actually feel comfortable, but he could tell that she had cared from the very beginning and only had his best intentions at heart.

"Thank-you." Today was the day Draco had been hoping to tell Hermione the truth. The true reason why he took up her offer and actually stuck to it. "Um, listen, I have to tell you the truth. The real reason why I actually took you up on this was so that I could get something on Potter and Weasley or something. I thought you were being a psycho-bitch bent on being the only one anyone was allowed to talk to, who everyone _had_ to tell _everything_ to." Hermione turned away. She knew she had accidentally come off as that, and was grateful that he was saying this. "I wanted to say, though, um," he was getting a little nervous as he put his hand in his pocket, "I want to call you Hermione." He took his fist out of his pocket and took Hermione's hand. "I, um, I made this for you." He put a small pink and green charm bracelet around her wrist.

Hermione looked at her wrist. The bracelet was a simple charm bracelet. Every other link was one of her two favorite colors. There were three simple charms on three links next to each other. One of them was a tiny gold star. The next one was a silver lion. And the third charm was a purple flower. The whole thing reminded Hermione of he favorite show 'One Tree Hill' when Nathan gave Hayley a bracelet even though he and her best friend hated each others' guts.

"Thank you" Hermione smiled. She didn't take her eyes off of the bracelet. "You really made this?"

"Well, I transfigured it out of a bracelet made out of laced flowers" Draco blushed.

"Did I just hear the Draco Malfoy made a bracelet out of _flowers_?" Hermione could not believe what she was hearing.

"Well don't go spreading it around. Besides, you said you appreciated hand made gifts more than storebought, and the stupid buggers wouldnt stay together so..." His face now matched the Weasleys' hair as he trailed off, trying to explain himself.

Hermione then did something she never would have imagined doing and kissed Draco Malfoy. The kiss was on the cheek, but they both knew that this meant that they were friends. Draco had never had a friend like Hermione. He didn't need to open up to her, though that was how it was with Blaise and Pansy, but it was like he didn't need to for her to know him or understand. He never had to explain anything. She was smart, beautiful, understanding, and all around perfect.

"Haha, don't worry _Draco_, your secret's safe with me" Hermione giggled at the color of his face.

"Um, I had something else I wanted to say" Hermione looked at her friend, wow, it still felt weird to think that. "Well, I um, I wanted to tell you that I like talking to you. And I like hanging out with you. And, well, Hermione, I just want to thank you for giving me a chance," he looked slyly at her pink face, "not that you have me a choice." Hermione giggled some more and slapped him playfully on the arm.

Hermione closed her eyes and felt the wind play on her face. The breeze blew her hair behind her and pressed lightly against her body, making her feel like she was flying.

She opened her eyes and looked up at the stars. Draco was late, later than usual. The night sky was so beautiful.

"Hermione!" she finally heard. She turned around and off in the distance finally saw the boy she had been waiting for.

He turned his walk into a trot until he was feet away from her and SLAP

"What the bloody hell was that for Hermione!" Draco tried to control his temper as the petit girl backed away from him angrily.

"That the hell do you mean what the hell was that for!" She could barely contain herself. "I almost DIED! Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny, _Harry_, and everyone else at the Ministry days ago! What the fuck! And not only did we _almost_ die, but Sirius _actually_, not almost, but _ACTUALLY_ _died_!" Hermione shoved Draco to the ground.

"Well what the bloody hell does that have to do with me?" He yelled at her.

Hermione calmed down and turned away from the silver-haired boy ahead of her. "Listen, I don't think it's a good idea to keep doing this." She was using all of her strength not to cry.

"No!" Draco jumped up. She could yell at him. She could hurt him. She could even hex him to oblivion, but she could not stop being his friend.

"Draco!" she turned around, He saw the tears that were falling down her face. "Because of you, Umbrige found us! She found the DA! I had to fight you and your _cronies_ to even leave a damn room! We had to hurt you all to do what was _right_! Draco, this friendship, I don't know what would have happened and had I not been fist fighting with Zabini, I would have had to fight _you_. I can't do this any more." She dropped her head and stared at her feet as she put her hands on her hips. This was one of the hardest things she'd ever have to do. "Myrtle will be in the prefects bathroom tomorrow morning if you need to talk to her." With that, Hermione ran past the Slytherin she had grown to befriend and ran up back to Gryffindor tower, hoping not to be caught for being out of bed at one in the morning.

She closed her eyes as she leaned against the portrait door. Thankfully, no one was down there to see her cry. She opened her eyes and looked out the window of the richly decorated bedroom she was staying in. It was a beautiful morning, but for yet another toiling day.

"Wow, what a dream"

A/N Wow, long chapter. Sorry if it was confusing, anything you can suggest to make it more understandable, just review and I might take up your suggestion. More ASAP, I promise.


	3. Summer in Solitude

A/N OK eager readers. Here's where this story goes from Lions and Dragons and Hearts, oh my! To Revenge Isn't Everything. ENJOY! REVIEW!

Chapter Three: Summer in Solitude

Good morning," Hermione said to the people in the kitchen. Harry looked up from the stove where he was frying bacon while making eggs. Ron was sitting in the corner, not allowed to touch _anything._ Off in the window was Harry's dreadful aunt Petunia. She seemed to be trying to listen to the neighbors.

Hermione thought about when she and Ron decided that though they liked each other, nothing should happen until Voldemort was defeated. Harry chose to be blind in the whole situation with his friends as he thought back to his relationship with Ginny. He missed her so much and the second he knew she would be out of danger, even after Voldemort was defeated, he would rush back to her and never let her go.

"Good morning Hermione. Would you mind getting the pancakes?" Harry asked. Hermione smiled and looked at her friend's worn face. The Dursleys worked him to no end, and would always try to think up excuses for her and Ron to not be able, no, _allowed_ to help him, especially with magic, and _especially_ after the barbeque incident a few weeks ago with Ron and the exploding beans. When, though, have they ever followed _all_ of the rules?

Hermione took her wand out of her boxer shorts and pointed at the empty plates beside Harry. They soon were piled with all sorts of breakfast foods. The pans and spatulas in Harry's hands floated up and were instantly cleaned before resting back where they belonged. She knew that it was wrong to be using magic for even the simple tasks like cooking and cleaning, but if it annoyed the Dursleys then she was fine with it.

"Thanks" Harry said. He felt awkward being the only one of the three of them who was still underage, but he appreciated all of the help they could offer.

"No problem." Hermione levitated the plates into the dining room, followed by Harry and Ron. "Good morning Mr. Dursley," she said as she set the plates on the table and took a seat between Harry and Ron. Even though he was a total moronic, dictating bastard, she would still make an effort to make as non-hostile of an environment as possible, well at least until Harry was of age.

"Good morning Hermione" Dudley said from across the table. Ever since the second week that the three friends had arrived at the Dursley house, Dudley had been trying to hit on her.

Hermione had decided that looks would be able to help them on their mission. Making her hair more tamable would make it easier to keep out of her face, and make it easier to blend in. She also went for at least two runs a day, dragging Harry and Ron with her. They needed to stay fit if anything were to happen when they could not use magic. She made them run, go to a gym, taught them both to swim, and anything else that would help them stay fit. One more thing that changed about her was that from spending so much time in the sun, a few small freckles popped up on her now tan face. Within a few short weeks, Hermione Granger had developed into a 5'4, leggy, brunette woman. Her body was slender with a few small curves.

"Good morning Pig" she replied, taking a note out of Mimi Bobeck's book from the Drew Carey Show. Even though she would try to be polite to Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, she would in no way show any emotion remotely close to courtesy to the tub of lard ahead of her. "Mr. Dursley, could you please pass the orange juice?"

"So now you need the _normal_ person to do something?" He replied bitterly, not even looking away from his newspaper.

"Here you go 'Mione" Harry said from beside his uncle. He reached across the table and went to pick up the carton ahead of him when a pudgy, overstuffed hand grapped it and placed it in front of Hermione's plate.

"Gotta be quicker than that Potter" Dudley said with a sneer.

This was the first day of the last month that the trio would have to spend in the horrible house.

Breakfast went as it usually did. Dudley would try to make his parents give Harry work that he would have to do outside or in public where people would see so that Ron and Hernione wouldn't be able to help out with magic, and would most likely succeed.

"I still don't get why you two don't just stay across the street with Mrs. Figg," Harry said as he and Ron weeded the garden while Hermione trimmed the hedges.

"And miss out on all this fun?" Ron replied sarcastically. He stood up and stretched his back. "Honestly mate, I still don't get how you manage to do this every bloody summer"

"Well, after a few years, you get used to the labor, no matter how much you hate it." Harry muttered the last bit under his breath.

"Oh, Harry, do you honestly think that we would actually leave you with your family during the summer holidays and let you do all of this work on your own? Besides, we need to stick together, protect each other."

"Whatever you say Hermione." Harry said, grateful that he had such amazing friends.

"Oy! Potter!" The trio suddenly heard form the fence in the front of the lawn. It was Dudley and his pathetic gang of bullies.

Harry sighed, "Sorry cuz, but I'm with some peeps a little cooler and more important that you right now."

"Who? That redhead freak?" The group of boys laughed at Dudley's remark.

"No, with worms we're using for dinner tonight." Harry held up a bucket of worms he and Ron were collecting to give to Mrs. Figg for her garden.

Two or three of the boys giggled, but tried to hide with by coughing.

It was then that Harry noticed that one of Dudley's cronies was missing. Jerry something or other. He went to the same summer-school as Dudley. Harry looked around for him and soon found the little bugger standing beside Hermione, trying to talk to her. Harry had to realize that Hermione _had_ changed this summer. He noticed the way her short, denim jeans made her butt look small and round and hugged her hips with every step she took and move she made. It was a hot summer day so she had discarded of her T-shirt and was wearing nothing but her deep-purple bikini top with a v-neck, since it was a string bikini, and showed off much cleavage, Though she did not have a large chest, her slender, tan, toned body made her look bigger than she was. Her hair was up in a messy bun, with a few small strands falling over her beautiful face.

"Ron" Harry whispered. Ron looked at Harry and followed to where his eyes were leading. Ron jumped up and made to go to Hermione. Harry quickly, too, jumped up and grabbed his friend. "Oy! Jerry!"

"What do you want?" Jerry asked, pissed that the Potter kid was interrupting him while he was in the middle of macking.

"What you doin' man?" Harry asked quietly, since his face was now inches from Jerry's, with Ron to his right.

"What do you think orphan boy?" Hermione rolled her eyes at this and 'accidentally' missed the hedge and cut a large "L" on the back of Jerry's shirt, which went completely unnoticed by all.

"I think that you're tryin' to hit on our friend Hermione," Ron snapped.

"And we just don't appreciate that man, so why don't you just back off?" Harry finished, after having to pull Ron back.

"How about I break your fag-ass glasses in half, along with your nose?" Jerry held his fist up to Harry's calm-looking face.

"Boy, boys," Hermione said softly as she walked between her friends and their prey. She had seen something like this in 'The Mummy'. "Now Harry, Ron, I know that you two want to protect me, but I'm a big girl," She began as she faced her two best friends. She winked and the boys instantly knew to back off and let Hermione do what she had been doing all summer, humiliate Dudley's gang. After her friends took a step away, Hermione turned to Jerry and gave him the flirtiest smile she could.

Dudley and his friends watched as one of the newer members of their group faced the wrath of Hermione, before they had to watch the wrath of Dudley when he told the guy that he was hitting on Dudley's prey.

"I'm so sorry about that," she rolled her eyes, "boys. When are they going to finally accept that I'm a grown girl and just let me _have fun_."

Jerry could not believe what he was hearing. He had been watching the girl for a few days now and always wondered why no one ever dared go up and talk to her, but now here he was and she was looking _hot_.

"How about I make it up to you?" Hermione took a step closed to the boy as she put her hand on his chest. She felt him shiver at her touch and let out a soft, playful giggle. "Am I making you nervous?" she whispered with her lips only an inch away from his ear. He could feel her breath on his neck.

"N-no" he said, trying to sound as macho as possible, but he was beginning to sweat.

"Good, then you wouldn't be nervous if I asked you to close your eyes and let me make up for my friends being so rude?" Not a second later, Jerry's eyes were shut and his lips were ready and waiting. Hermione ran across the garden and grabbed the bucket of worms. "Okay," she whispered, "Open your mouth" Jerry's jaw dropped and Hermione took three worms and let them glide into his mouth.

Jerry's eyes flew open and his mouth, accidentally, closed. He ran around the backyard, showing off the back of his shirt, screaming with his mouth shut.

"SPIT THEM OUT IDIOT!" Phill, an old friend of Dudley's yelled over the fence.

Jerry spit out the worms and looked the smiling Hermione in the eye before stalking out of the garden. Dudley and the rest of the group followed after him for Dudley's punishment.

As soon as they were all out of sight, Hermione, Ron, and Harry started cracking up. Harry grabbed his ribs while Ron held on to a tree for balance. Hermione was laying flat on her back as she laughed at what she had done. This was the third time she had to get one of those idiots to back off.

"Hermione, you sure have changed since first year" Harry gasped between breaths.

Later at the end of dinner, Hermione was in the kitchen, bringing out some tea to go with their dessert when there was a knocking at the door.

"Who the bloody hell would come calling at this hour!" she heard Mr. Dursley scream from the table as he stood up to answer. "Well! Go get it boy!"

She heard Harry get up from the table and walk to the door.

"MALFOY!"


	4. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Chapter Four: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

"MALFOY! What the hell are you doing here!" Hermione and Ron ran to the front door to find Harry holding his wand to Malfoy's face, only they would never have recognized him if it was not for his expensive robes and put it together with his hair, which fell flat over his pale, sickly looking face. His eyes were red and he looked like he had not slept or eaten properly for days, weeks even, let alone groomed himself. He was shaking slightly, looking as though he would collapse at any moment. His expensive robes were ratted and torn. They looked like he had been wearing them for some time now.

Harry was giving Malfoy the dirtiest death glare imaginable. Hermione ran over and stood beside Harry, followed by Ron.

"P-Potter," Malfoy said in a weak voice. His voice was raspy and shaken. "P-please. I-I heard I could find you here." His weak eyes were pleading. "Th-the D-dark Lord, he killed my mother. Snape, he just watched. Her sister, my aunt, Bellatrix, she was holding me back. She was smiling! She was smiling while she was watching her sister was being killed and holding her son, her sister's son, her own nefew, while it happened." Hermione noticed that his eyes began to fill with tears, but gave it not a second thought as she whipped out her wand and allowed it to join Harry's.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She demanded. Her voice shook even Harry and Ron on the inside.

"The Dark Lord, he was going to kill me. Everyone told him that I hesitated! They told him that I almost didn't do it. He wanted me to kill him, but I couldn't-didn't! I didn't! I was unable to complete a task that he himself gave me and he tried to kill me, He said he was going to use the Cruciatious curse instead of the Avada, make me know the severity of what I had done, but my mother jumped in front of me. She was crying!" Malfoy turned to Hermione. "SHE WAS CRYING!"

"WHAT IN TH-" Ron put a silencing charm on the door and walls before Vernon could finish what he was saying.

"Why would we care about this? Would you care if we showed up _your_ doorstep and told you that _our_ parents had been killed?" Ron demanded. "In case you forgot, it is because of your Dark Lord that Harry can't even do that!"

"MY MOTHER DIED TRYING TO GET HIM TO FORGIVE ME! TO SAVE MY LIFE! MY AUNT JUST HELD ME THERE! SHE _FORCED_ ME TO WATCH! SHE HELD MY HEAD AND WOULD NOT LET ME CLOSE MY EYES!" Malfoy looked from one of the teenagers in from of him to the other. "My father was sent to jail fighting for him. My mother was killed trying to save me from him. The only teacher who would have given me a chance, offer protection, anything, was killed by his orders. Potter," Malfoy looked Harry straight in the eye, "I want it to be his turn."

"We can't possibly trust him!" Ron yelled. He and Harry were waiting in Harry's room while Hermione was checking Malfoy for any detection charms, dark objects, potions or anything magical in aunt Marge's room, which is where she was staying.

"I know Ron! Don't you think I wanted to kill him when I saw him at the door! " Harry replied even louder.

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU?"

Harry looked away from his best friend. "I froze."

"Well, I checked him out and he doesn't seem to be carrying or under anything, well, other than his robe and his wand, which he allowed me to check, and the last spell he did was a self-cloaking spell, and it wasn't fresh. If he's telling thetruth, he probably did that to stay off their radar and didn't use magic since then so they couldn't track him" Hermione said as she walked into the room.

"Then why not discard it?" Ron asked.

"A wizard's wand is able to track its owner. Plus, probably in case he needed to protect himself or something." Hermione sounded nervous.

"Where is he now?" Harry asked almost as quietly as the last thing he had said.

"I left him in the room I'm staying in. I didnt see any need to bind or silence him. He seems weak. But there's something I think you guys want to hear." She twisted a strand of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. "He asked me what is was like to fight on the right side." She refused to make eye contact with either of the boys in the room.

Ron punched the wall. He could not believe Malfoy was doing this! Harry, on the other hand, stood still, He did not even blink for what seemed to be a long while.

"Harry?" Hermione waved her hand in front of her friend's eyes.

"What else?" he hissed.

"HARRY!" Hermione gasped. "You're speaking parseltongue!"

"I'm pissed!" He hissed once again.

"Maybe you should try to calm down a little. I think that this is coming from your anger." Hermione was terrified at the look in Harry's eyes.

"I AM CALM!" He finally mustered out in English.

"Thank you, now what did you say first?"

"I said what else did he say?" Harry said through his teeth.

"Oh, um, well, when he said that, I looked at him and he was looking at me and then he looked away and said that he would only talk after he spoke to you." She whispered. "But Harry, he said that he would tell us anything we needed to know! _Anything._"

"Oh, so we're going to go and believe him?" Ron finally ended his silence in the back of the room.

"He said we could use a truth spell, or a potion! He was weak, but seemed serious. He _apologized._"

"HOW THICKHEADED COULD YOU BE HERMIONE? HE'S TRYING TO USE YOU TO GET TO HARRY! HE'S ONLY DOING THIS AND BEING OPEN AND SHIT BECAUSE HE KNOWS IT WILL GET TO YOU!" Ron could barely contain himself.

"Ron you idiot! Do you think I wasn't smart enough to use a lie -detecting spell on my wand? I was expecting what you just said and used it to our advantage! If he lies, and we know about it, we can use it against him!" Hermione glared at Ron for thinking she was so naïve. "But do you want to hear something? My wand tip didn't glow once! Not even the tiniest bit!"

"Well maybe he just went around the truth!" Ron hoped.

"No, the spell picks up anything untrustworthy, even thoughts. I was hoping that I had said the spell wrong and did it again before I came into the room, but when I said that my name was Anne Granger, instead of Hermione Anne, it glowed a bright red." Hermione turned to the silent Harry. "I'm so sorry. I wanted him to be lying just as much as you did, but he was just truthful."

"But you said he used a self-cloaking charm" Ron asked quietly, trying to find some way to incriminate Malfoy.

"It was for location, nothing more." Hermione sighed.

There was a long silence in the room, until Harry finally said, "I'm going in."


	5. Don't Remember Me This Way

Chapter Five: Don't Remember Me This Way

(I'm in love with Jordan Hill's song Remember me this way)

Harry walked slowly down the hall. He took in a deep breath before reaching for the doorknob and slowly opening the door. He stood in the doorway, taking in the sight before him.

There, on the bed before him, was his first archenemy, Draco Malfoy. The boy's hair was all mussed and filthy. Ragged strands fell loosely over his face. His face was gaunt. It was pale, save the dark circles under his eyes His lips were dry and parlty opened as he slept. His robe fell shabbily over his feeble, sleeping body.

Had Harry never met the boy before him, he would have felt sorry, but this was Draco Malfoy, the boy who sent Katie Bell to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries! The boy who informed Dolores Umbrige of the D.A.!

He took a step into the room, not taking his eyes off the sight in front of him. All of a sudden, Malfoy's motionless body began to shake. He began mumbling something Harry was unable to make out.

Harry continued to walk into the room until he was inches away from the bed. Malfoy's words were beginning to become clear.

"Mum, no, please," He mumbled. "Aunt Bella! Why?"

Harry saw the look of distress in Malfoy's face. He was sweating and began rocking. Though he hated him with every bone in his body, Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for the _sleeping_ Malfoy.

When Harry was deep in thought, he didn't notice Malfoy's eyes slowly flicker open. He looked up at Harry hovering over him in deep thought.

"P-P-Potter?" He asked in a weak voice.

Harry looked at Malfoy with cold, stern eyed. He did not know what to do. What to say. He still was having trouble believing that this whole thing was even actually happening.

"You said you would give us information." He finally got out. His voice was emotionless. There was no tone in his voice. It was just there.

"P-please. For-forgive me. I-I didnt know, I di-"

"You didnt know? You didnt kinow whot you were trying to kill the entire school year. You didnt know who you were planning ot kill since the summer?" His voice was as it was before. It would have sent chills down his own back, he was so cold. The only thing he wanted to do was jump up and scream. He wanted to tear apart the boy before him. How could he not have known?

"I knew. I knew. But, but i didnt know he would kill my mother. I-"

"Your mother, your mother, your mother! You dont even care about the one man who was wlling to give you a chance. To save you. To _protect_ you!" Harry was doing his best to control his anger.

"Please, Potter, my mother was all I had. She protected me. All my life she protected me. She was my savior. She was the only one who truly cared for me." Weak tears began to fall from his face. "She was all I had in the world and he killed her."

"He killed a lot of mothers."

"He killed mine! He sent my father to jail! He destroyed my family!" Malfoy turned away, not wanting to look at his only hope.

"He killed my mother _and_ my father. He practically sentenced my godfather to death. He killed Cedric Diggory. Would you care for me to go on? Because I _can_. You're not the only one whose family he destroyed. You arent the only person in the world. It's time for you to finally learn that." Harry could not have been filled with any more hatred.

Malfoy stood up as quickly as he could, and looked Harry straight in the eye. "Look, Potter, I know that we have disliked each other since we met, but I need you, and you can use me. I have information that you can use. _Please_, let me _help_."

There was a long silence between the two boys. Neither knew what to do or say. They just stood there, not moving a muscle.

"I'll let you stay here tonight. Tomorrow, though, I want answers." Draco looked at Harry. He tried not to let it be nticed, but his eyes lit up a little. "I will be right back." Harry turned around and walked out of the room.

He shut the door after leaving and looked down at his wand.

"No Harry, you didnt do the spell wrong." Harry looked up at Hermione and Ron, who were standing outside of the room. "I did it on my own wand as well. Same with Ron."

"Hermione, I don't know what to do. Ron, do you tihnk i should have let him stay here?" Harry didnt know what to do.

"Harry, i tihnk you made an excelent decision. No, you made the _right_ decision." Hermione said, trying to make Harry feel better. "Listen, why don't I stay with him tonight? You two can make a list for what we should ask him. Oh don't look at me like that! I know for a fact that both of you would most likely kill him, besides, I'm the lightest sleeper. If he does or says anything, I'll hear." Hermione looked at her two best friends. They looked at her, not wanting to allow her to stay with the enemy, alone, at _night_.

"Hermione, I-" Ron didn't want anything to happen to Hermione.

"No Ron! Can you honestly tell me that you won't do something to him? And let's say that something _does_ happen, what if someone finds him and puts him under the Imperius Curse? No offence guys, but who do you think is quickest with their wand? And let's not forget that Harry still had yet to turn seventeen. Stop looking at me like that!"

"What the Bloody hell is going on up here!" Vernon Dursley yelled as he marched up the stairs. Hermione had locked him and the rest of his family in the dining room. Petunia had to climb out the window and break open the door.

"Shit, it's my uncle"

"Gee Harry, we would never have known otherwise," Ron said sarcastically.

"Oh shut up Ron! Thisisn't the time for your sarcasm. Let me," Hermione walked over to the stairs to meet Vernon at the top. "Mr. Dursley, a-"

"I don't bloody well care! When are you going to be leaving my house!" His face was turning red with anger.

"The second Harry turns seventeen, but for the meanwhile, we are here only to protect you and your family. At the moment, though, a classmate of ours' needs our help and we have decided to give it." Hermione was trying to control her temper. Why did Mr. Dursley have to be so rude?

"And how, may I ask, are you helping him?"

"He shall be staying in your sister's room with me, not leaving, under my care and supervision until further notice." Hermione could tell that this was going to cause conflict, but it's not like he could be trusted completely yet.

"WHAT?" Vernon was furious.

"Sir, please understand that you will not see or hear him for the remainder of our stay. You will not even know that he is here." Hermione left at that note, not wanting to cause conflict and to let Mr. Dursley know that she had won the argument.

"THIS IS NOT OVER GIRL!" Hermione refused to turn around at this. It was over and she refused to continue unless he was willing to leave them alone.

"I am sorry, Mr. Dursley, but it is. You do not control me and I can turn you into a toad if i wish. Now if you will excuse me, I have a classmate that needs care and food." Hermione turned around, walked briskly past Vernon and marched down the stairs to the kitchen.

When she entered the room, she saw Dudley with half his body in the refrigerator. She looked around to see if there wre any leftovers from dinner on the counter, but there was nothing but petunias.

She grabbed a plate from the cabinet and walked over behind Dudley.

"'Scuse me." Hermione said as she tried to look over his shoulder to see what remains of food was left.

Dudley turned around and looked down at the petit figure now in front of him.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He put his pudgy hand up to his ear.

"Listen Dudley, I need to get food so either you move your ass or I do." Hermione was pissed off. She already had to deal with Pig Sr. and did not want to have to no with Jr.

By the time Dudley was done trying to hit on her and she had stuck him, temporarily, to the refrigerator door, Hermione had decided to bring up a little bit of everything from dinner for Malfoy.

Hermione piled chicken, mashed potatoes, peas, and a biscuit onto a plate. She saw a piece of chocolate cake in the back of the refrigerator. She grabbed the piece and filled a glass with milk. After putting everything on a tray and grabbing some cutlery, Hermione took everything upstairs to her's and Malfoy's room. As she opened the door, she heard Ron's and Harry's voices in their room. They seemed to be arguing, but she had trouble making out the words, so she just continued into the room and walked over to Malfoy, who was sitting up on the large bed looking at something in his hand.

"I brought you some food," Hermione said quietly. Malfoy's head shot up. He stared hard at her, as if he was trying to figure out what she was thinking. Hermione saw this and put down the tray on the small writing desk. She walked over and sat next to the boy that used to be her friend. It had been a long time since they had sat beside each other like this.

"I miss this," Malfoy said all of a sudden, as though he knew what Hermione was thinking.

"What?"

"I miss this. You and me not hating each other." He said simply.

"Who said that I don't hate you?" Of course, Hermione could never hate him, but she could never forgive him for the shit that he had done and that he had assisted in.

Draco looked at Hermione. Her soft brown hair was up in a ponytail with a few loose strands falling over her beautiful brown eyes. Her beautiful lips were slightly parted as she thought to herself. He would always wonder what it would be like to kiss them. Their friendship was the strongest bond he had ever had with anyone, but he always wanted more. Not just because of her beauty, but because of her mind, her heart, her intelligence, her soul, she was perfect in every way.

"Hermione-"

"No. Don't bother." She turned to face him, "Draco, you don't understand. This time Dumbledore died. Death Eaters were in the castle. You put all of Hogwarts at risk. You sent Katie Bell to St. Mungo's for how long again? Do you want me to continue with all the other crap that you did?" She turned away. It pained her to do this. "I think that it might be better if we just pretend nothing ever happened and you just found Myrtle on your own."

Draco refused to hear this. She could _not_ pretend that nothing ever happened! He slowly stood up and walked over to the tray of food she had brought up.

Hermione stood up and left the room, leaving Draco to eat alone in the room.


	6. Planning Ahead

Chapter Six: Planning Ahead

"Ah, there you are Hermione." Ron said as he looked up at Hermione.

Hermione walked briskly into the room and sat on the bed beside Ron. Harry was sitting across from his friends on the extra twin bed Hermione conjured up from a lumpy cot.

"We were just discussiny maybe having Malfoy stay with Figg across the street."

"Ron, how many times do i haev to tell you that if he were to stay with her, then that would only put her life in danger and his in even more. We have to keep him here." Harry said sternly.

"Don't worry guys. I will keep him in the room at all times. There's a private bathroom connected to the bedroom, I can make an extra bed, I'll get him back to health and get information from him. He will be safe and so will we." Hermione said. She did not want to tell them what had just happened in the other room. They still did not know about fifth year when she and Malfoy were even friends.

"'Mione, are you sure that you want to do this?" Harry asked.

"Positive. Tomorrow, Ron and I can do your chores while you speak with Malfoy. Before I go to sleep tonight, I'll write a letter to McGonagall telling her of this. Hopefully she will let us handle it."

"Like hell! She'll take him away the second she finds out where he is!" Ron yelled. "That or Hagrid will crush every bone in his body with one hand."

"Listen, it's almost nine right now. We should think about what to talk to him about." Harry said, finally bringing up the importance of having Malfoy alive.

"I'll talk to him tonight, see what i can get out of him. Tomorrow, you try to guilt him a little, make him crack. Get stuff from the past few years and see if everything makes sense. We can record the whole thing if you want with a camcorder or something. Then, when Ron and I finish, I'll start on dinner, since I can use magic and Ron isn't allowed near food with his wand. It will take a few minutes only. You guys can come down and eat, we'll give hi msome extra clothes to change into so he can bathe while we eat. After we finish, quickly, might i add, we can go over what he told you guys and then either go in together, or take turns until about ten, so we can let him sleep and regain his strength. We can take some time of of the gym and early morning work-outs and stuff, but both of you still need to do sit ups and whatnot." Hermione refused to take time off of their workout schedual.

"Aw Hermione-"

"Ron, I would think that working out would be the least of your concerns." Harry turned to Hermione. "Great idea Hermione. So when Ron is there with me, we can discuss what happened this year and-"

"No Harry. Though the information from this year and the future is important, we still must make sure that he has the information we need and that we can trust him, y'know. Wait a few days. Then bring up last year, and next week or so we'll begin discussing present information." Herimione was taking this as seriously as she could.

"Hermine, we need the information as soon as possible."

"Harry, I know that, but for now let's just wait a few days. Give him time to deal with his mother's death. We need hi mto relax and not cause him to have a psychotic break because of his trauma. Now i suggest that the two of you calm down. We have to behave very deilcately without showing him any remorse. It's going to be veryhard and tomorrow will definately be a long day so i suggest that the two of you get ready to go to sleep. I will see you in the morning at breakfast." With that, Hermione turned around and left the room.

"I hate to admit it, but she's right about the trauma thing."Harry sighed. "We _do_ have to treat this delicately."

Ron punched the pillow before getting up to change into his pajamas.

Hermione walked into the bedroom. Draco was sitting up on the bed, waiting for her. She closed the door softly behind her and walked over and sat beside him.

"Harry will be-"

"Hermione, I don't want to talk about Harry, or tomorrow." Draco interrupted slowly. "I just want to say that I'm sorry." Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Draco continued before sound could leave her mouth. "I know that i already apologized for all the shit that i did before. But now I'm apologizing to you. I want you to know that i never meant to hurt you in any way."

"No, you have to go to sleep. You have to regain your strength for tomorrow." Hermione didn't want him to say any more. It was killing her inside. She had cared deeply for him and now he was the enemy once more.

"First I want you to say that you forgive me."

"I can give you some clean pajamas to wear tonight." Hermione quickly said as she stood up to walk over to her trunk.

"Hermione, I would sleep naked in the snow to get you to look me in the eye and not tell me that you miss me." Draco said as he stood up and walked beside her.

"Here," Hermione handed Draco a large T-shirt and a pair of boxers she transfigured to fit him. "You can keep them." She whispered.

"Thank you" Draco whispered. He took the pajamas, slowly. It was obvious how much he had hurt her.

As he bagan to walk away, Hermione whipped her head around and took his hand. Draco turned his head and looked her in the eyes. They were so beautiful, he could look into then forever and still not want to look away.

The two stood in silence, neither wanting to look away.

Hermione suddenly snapped back into reality. Harry and Ron were down the hall. Sirius and Dumbledore were dead. Voldemort was at large. She couldn't do this and mentally slapped herself.

"No," she looked away. She couldn't do this. Not to Harry. Not to Ron. Not to herself.

Draco looked down, refusing to admit defeat, but choosing to let her see that he was not there to hurt her.

He turned around slowly and walked into the bathroom to change into the pajamas.

Hermione turned around just in time to see him stagger into the bathroom and close the door. As soon as she heard the door click shut, she flopped onto the bed and thought about what was going on.

The summer had been going pretty okay so far. She, Harry and Ron had never been closer. She had finally grown out of her awkward phase when she was a bushy haird brunette who hid behind big books and baggy clothes. She was having fun and coming out of her shell while preparing to fight Lord Voldemort. AND NOW THIS!

"This can't be happening" she said quietly to herself, not hearing the bathroom door open. She put her hands over her eyes and laid in the dark. "Why couldn't I have just left him alone?"

"Because you're a kind, giving, considerate, sweet, and all around amazing person," Hermione practically jumped up. She looked to her side and saw Draco standing beside the bed looking down at her.

'NO! I can't smile! I can't be touched by this! There is not way I can let him get to me! Especially not now!' She thought.

Draco sat on the bed beside her with one leg hanging off. Hermione crossed her legs as the tried to think of what to say.

"Are you tired?" He asked.

"Oh, um I guess. Are you? I mean, after traveling here, you must be." Hermione mentally slapped herself again. He must think that she was a rambling idiot, not that she would care.

"Hermione," Draco took her hands in his, "nothing could keep me from you. That's why I searched to find out about the D.A., but when Zabini and them found out that I knew, I-I, I'm just so sorry Hermione."

"Draco-"

"Please, Hermione, if yuo don't want me here, i have an aunt who I know would take me in, but I want to help." He stepped in a little bit and looked down into her beautiful chocolate eyes. Oh how he would not look away from them during their long talks, even if they were not talking. "You are the only one that I will leave for."

Hermione had to look away. His blue eyes seemed endless and she could just get lost in them for forever. "Please," she croaked, "don't do this to me."

"Then I guess that I will leave." Draco walked slowly towards the door.

"Where will you go?" Hermione asked as she whipped her head around.

"Somewhere. I don't really know, but no matter what, I will be going after Voldemort."

"I still don't see why he's staying with Hermione. Why don't we all just stay in one room together?" Ron exclaimed, though quietly, to an almost asleep Harry.

"Let it go Ron. On our first day here I hid a bunch of detectors and stuff around the house with Hermione while you decided to take a nap." Harry replied as he tried to hide his ears under the covers some more.

"But what if-"

"Ron, go to sleep."


	7. Out For A Run

A/N Okay, the whole Clarice/Ignatious thing was totally not how I wanted to go, but I felt like having a little fun in this chapter. Maybe later I'll have them have to do something with the ending. I don't know, I might just delete it and redo the first and this chapter.

Chapter Seven: Out For A Run

Draco put his hands behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling. Hermione had convinced him to stay the night so that she could think of something to get him to stay period. The truth was, though, that all he needed was her.

"No," he heard her mumble from the bed she had conjoured up beside him. "Please. I love you." Draco's head shot up. "Don't leave me."

'Who is she talking about?' He wondered.

"I'll do it. Anything. No, not that. Please, don't leave me. No. Don't take him away." She began to toss around in the bed. Her face was scrunched up and began to become drenched in sweat.

Under any circumstances, Draco would have naughty thoughts and wait until she woke up to comment on in, but instead he rushed over to her side on the bed and took her gently by the shoulders and pulled her up into his arms. She calmed down a bit and nuzzled into his chest. She put her hand to his chest, from inside his arms, and sighed.

"I love you Iggy."

I was in the woods, waiting for my beloved Ignatious. My blue, satin gown was torn and covered with mud. The school dance was being ransacked by a group of men. I had fought back with all my might along with my classmates and teachers, but the cops came to the scene and brought everyone out, and before I could say a word, I was brought to an ambulance with several of the other students.

As soon as I was sure no one was paying attention, I ran towards the woods. Ignatious would always show up there whenever he knew I was in danger, upset, or just wanted to talk to him, which all seemed to be more often than usual lately.

All of a sudden, I heard voices coming toward me. With my gown in my hands, I ran as fast as I could to the lake where Ignatious and I first met. My shoe suddeny got caught in a tree's root that had been sticking out from the ground.

As much as I tried to pull it out, my foot would not budge.

"Clarice!" It was Ignatious! He began running toward me. He kicked the root and broke it before sliding my foot from it's prison. He picked me up bridal style and took me behind the largest tree in the area before setting me down.

We looked at each other longingly as I swept him into a deep embrace.

"Reese, no." He pulled us apart and took my hands in his. "Those men were after _you_."

"How did you know about them?" I asked as I rubbed my sore ankle.

"My family. They do not want us together. They want you dead." His voice was grave.

I shot up, all pain forgotten. "But I love you. They can't take you away from me. I won't let them!" I stomped my other foot onto the ground, not caring that I looked or sounded like a five year old.

"Do you think that I don't love you? I don't want you to get hurt."

"No! Please, I love you." My eyes filled with hot tears. "Don't leave me!" I began to cry.

"Please Reese," Tears began to form in his beautiful blue eyes, "please don't cry. I would die if anything happened to you. Especially that I could prevent. And you know what you can do to save your life."

"I'll do it. Anything." He looked away from me, up towards the sky. He was saying what I was hoping he would never say. "No! Not that! Please don't leave me!"

All of a sudden, a group of men, dressed similarly as the ones who were at my school grabbed each of Iggy's arms as they pulled him back onto the tree.

"NO! DON'T TAKE HIM AWAY!" They each disappeared with a pop. One at a time, until the only ones remaining were the three holding Ignatious and Iggy himself. As soon as everyone was gone, I knew that I would never see my love again. I felt as though a meteor had come crashing and destroyed my world. With the feeling of a ton of bricks in my stomach, I slowly whispered, "I love you Iggy". I refused to let a tear fall as the words came from my mouth.

"_Hermione?_" I heard, "_Wake up Hermione._"

I opened my eyes and looked up. Draco was holding me in his arms. My whle body felt cold and damp.

We looked at each other for a long time. He looked familiar, like I had seen him before, but not from school. I was so tired, though, I could barely think.

"Hermione, are you okay?" He whispered as I began to drift off.

"I am now," I replied as I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up with a start. Hermione was still in my arms! I must have fallen asleep right after her.

As carefully as I could, I placed the still sleeping Hermione under the covers. Her soft brown hair fell flowed behind her head on her pillow. She was like a sleeping angel.

Yawning, I went back into the bed I had been sleeping in before and crept under the covers so get a bit more sleep in before Potter came in to interrogate me.

I looked over t the clock on the nightstand. It was six in the morning. I should be able to get at least another hour and a half.

Wierd, three weeks ago today my mother was killed. Two weeks, six days, twelve and a half hours. My face began to tingle and I got a sick feeling in my stomach. Tears began to fill my eyes. My mother was dead, my father was in prison, I had no family, no friends, and the only person I had ever cared for as more than a friend hated my guts.

_I'm pissed cause you came around_

_Why don't you just go home_

_Cause you channel al your pain _

_and I can't help you fix yourself _

_Your making me insane _

_All I can say is _

_I tear my heart open _

_I sew myself shut _

_My weakness is _

_That I care too much _

_Our scars remind us _

_That the past is real _

_I tear my heart _

_Open just to feel_

Loud music began to come from the clock beside me. Damn muggle music. At least it distracted me from my pain.

Hermione began to stir. I heard her get up out of bed and shuffle to the bathroom. Not a minute after she closed the door, I heard it slam open as she rushed over to turn the music off.

"Sorry, did it wake you?" She asked as soon as the music stopped.

"Oh, uh, no. I was up before. Couldn't sleep." I tried to convince her, turning my face away so she could not see how upset I was. After all, it was true.

"Oh, well, why don't you get some sleep. I usually go for a run around this time with Harry and Ron, but I'm letting them sleep in."

"Would you like me to come?" I asked. I _needed_ to get out in the fresh air. Maybe then I could get her to listen.

"No. You regain your strength. You should have seen how worn out you were yesterday." She was so careing.

"Are you sure?" Why was I asking? I was exhausted.

"It's fine. Besides, I tihnk we both know that I have some stuff to think about." She let out a small, nervous smile.

I forced a smile back at her and fell back into the sheets as soon as I saw her close the door.

As she neared the end of her second mile, Hermione changed the song on her iPod to "Photograph" by Nickelback. She needed a calmer song than The Black Eyed Peas's "My Humps".

She felt the cool breeze against her exposed legs. She had chosen short black Soffee shorts with a red sports bra and her hair in a high ponytail to wear this morning.

'Why did he have to come _here_?' Hermione thought to herself.

Throughout her whole run so far, from even before she left the house, Draco Malfoy would not leave her mind. Yes, they _used_ to be friends, but everything's different now. She was supposed to help Harry fulfill his destiny and defeat Voldemort. Maybe it was Draco's destiny to help too? No! That can't be. But what if, oh shit.

Hermione looked ahead of her and found herself not ten feet away from Jerry.

"Why Hello Granger." He said when he was only a few feet away from her. "Enjoying a little run?"

"Oh, hello Jerry." Hermione took the earpieces out of her ears and paused the music. She did not know what was up with him, but something didn't seem right.

"So, interesting day yesterday. You'll never believe what happened after I finally got the taste of worm out of my mouth." Jerry looked down at her petite figure.

"You went out and got more mouthwash?"

"No, dad's a dentist, had plenty. Dudley told me, though, that that wasn't your first time making an ass out of one of their friends." Hermione felt a blush come on, but fought it. "Then he told me that you were his, and made me eat a whole bucket of worms."

Hermione didn't know what was going on. Was he going to get mad? Was he turned on by a bad girl? What was he going to do?

"So what are you gonna do about it?" She asked as she looked him suqare in the eyes.

"Nothing. Just wanted to tell you that I am impressed." Hermione was surprised, to say the least.

"Um, okay. Well I have to finish my run." Hermione tried to get around him, but he moved to be in front of her. Hermione sighed. "Don't you have to be getting ready for some second grade class that you failed for the tenth time?"

"Actually, I was thinking of playing sick today. Maybe hanging out with a very hot girl from down the block." Jerry winked at her.

"Well then why don't you go find her, 'cause I have to go." He was beginning to get on her nerves.

Jerry looked down at her with a knowing face and smiled. "I _do_ enjoy a challenge now and again, yet helping you to understand me is becoming a little irritating."

"Y'know, you'd think that I would be the one saying this considering that I'm not the one who has to retake classes because of failure. Have a nice day." Before anything else could be said, she put the earpieces back into her ears and ran around him.

"What a loser." She said to herself after running a few yards.

"I couldn't agree more." Hermione whipped her head around to see Draco standing with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a muggle shirt and jeans that Hermione had conjoured up before leaving with a pair of flip flops. His face was pale save the dark curcles under his eyes. His cheeks seemed a bit shallow and his hair was still a bit lank.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, turning off her music and pushing him into the bushes so that no one would see them.

Draco smirked at her, or attempted a smirk. He had almost no energy. He didn't even know how he had walked this distance without collapsing. She was so cute when she was angry, though, and he could not help but want to smile. "How do muggles actually walk in these things? They are bloody annoying and keep flip flopping all abount under my feet."

"That's why they're caled flip flops and I find them to be very comfortable. Now I have answered your question, _so answer mine_." Hermione had to admit that when he was calm, collective, and naive, he was adorable.

"When you left, I heard Potter and Weasley say that they were excited that they didn't have to go run in the park, then Potter asked Weasley why he did something with a clock, so I came here to see if you needed a runnng buddy." His voice was almost robotic, empty, quick.

"I can run on my own, thank you. I'm not six years old or anytihng." Hermione put her hands on her hips.

"Well, I know that seeing how you took care of yourself from that loser muggle. How he was unable to tell that you did not want his company was beyond me." Draco shoved his hands into his pockets.

Truth be told, Draco was in his room, sobbing. Memories of his mother and her death seemed to flood the place. He knew that if he stayed there he would probably go into a state of depression or possibly worse. He had no energy or strength, but knew that he had to go somewhere. After changing into the clothes Hermione had conjoured up for him, he began walking, not even knowing where until he saw Hermione and that filthy muggle. Wanting nothing more than to hex the vermin, he watched at Hermione turned him down and ran away. When he heard her say "What a loser", he couldn't help but agree, though he did not mean for it to be out loud. When he was with her, he knew that he could not show any weakness, or let her on to how empty he felt inside and wanted nothing more than to just cry in her arms.

"Yes, it _is_ annoying." Draco knew what Hermione was saying. He knew it all along, but he just wanted to be with her more than anything at that moment. Well, other than for his mother ot be alive.

"Hermione," He took a step forward, "I know you don't want me here, but please, I just can't be alone." Damn! He did _not_ just let her see any weakness. Now she will think that he is nothing but a pansy.

Hermione looked into his pained eyes. How could she have been so cruel to him? She slid her arms around his torso and placed her, sweaty, head onto his chest.

"I'm so sorry about your mother Draco." She whispered.

Memories began to flood her. Everywhere she looked she saw an image of the two of them. She closed her eyes and told herself not to cry. She had to be the strong one. Draco needed her to be. This wasn't about her.

"When I was six, I was out with my nanny in some shopping village. Mother was sick, otherwise she would have taken me, or been there, she was always by my side whenever possible." Hermione looked up. His face was hard as he stared into the distance. What was he talking about? "Nanny was sweet, but young, so when we ran into her friends from school, she began talking to them. I wandered off into the street and saw a colorful store. Inside, there were shelves upon shelves of books. I ran over to the closest section and grabbed the highest book I could reach, knowing that the best stuff is always on the top shelf, or, well, knowing at that time. The book had a blue cover and in black writing said 'To Live, Love, and Fly. Stories By Children Ages 7-17'. I was so excited that I brought it to the back corner where big, purple chairs were set up, jumped into one and began reading it. A lot of the words were hard, but ater a while I got through the first story. By that time. I am sure that my nanny noticed I was gone because a few minutes later she came running into the store. She tried to yell at me, but the clerk shushed her. She wanted to leave right away, but I refused to leave until I finished the book. After a while, she got sick of my crying and bought it. She didn't realize until afterwards that it was a muggle book and made me throw it out. When she wasn't looking, I took it out of the trash can and wrapped it in one of my new robes." He was opening up to her! "Up until then, I had never come in contact with muggles. I hadn't even noticed one when I was there."

"Draco, are you opening up to me?" She had to be sure. When they spoke durung school, he would never speak this openly, scary as he was behaving.

"There was a story," he looked down at her, "written by a sixteen year old. She wrote about how her father would abuse her emotionally, her mother gone, and torment in school. She would always run away to a little garden and cry. One day when she was crying, a boy came over and just let her cry. The next day she went back, hoping to see the boy again, but he didn't come." He put his strong arms around her slim waist.

Hermione began to wonder why he was telling her such a depressing story. "She went there every day for a week." He continued. "On the seventh day that he didn't show up, she asked around. It turns out that the boy died the day she had met him. She wrote that he was the closest thing she had ever had to a friend and that she loved him with all her heart. One day was all it took." Hermione wondered what that meant. "She had gone to the lake to kill herself."

Hermione tightened her hold on Draco. She never wanted to let go. She hever wanted him to let her go. She only wanted to stay that way forever. Unfortunately though, forever would have to wait.

"No," she slowly pushed him away. "Draco, I'm sorry. And I'm sorry about your mother. I'm sorry about everything that's ever happened to you, but right now we need to destroy Voldemort and you need to rest." How did she know? "Don't think that I don't see the weariness in your eyes. Come on." She took his hand and led him back to the house, taking the not-so scenic route.

"Hermione, what is that?" Draco asked as he walked into the kitchen.

Hermione had totally forgotten about leaving Dudley on the refrigerator last night.

"Shit, haha. Wait right here, I'm going to go get my wand." Hermione ran out of the room.

"You left your wand here?" Draco exclaimed as soon as the door opened.

"What?" Potter mumbled as he came walking in, rubbing his eyes and half-asleep. He shuffled his feet and yawned as he reached for the refrigerator door. It was obvious that all his motions were subconsious and that he wasn't paying attention.

Hermione then walked into the room, disturbing Draco's enjoyment of Harry's idiocy. She walked up beside him and put her hads on her hips, knowing what he was smiling at.

"Oh Harry." She giggled. Harry shot his head up. "Good morning."

"Hermione? Wha-WOAH! What's Dudley doing there?"

"Oh, he was annoying me last night. So I-"

"You stuck him to the door?" Harry shook his head. "And I was already afraid to get on your bad side from first year with Neville."

Draco couldn't hold it in anymore. He began to burst out in a weak laughter.

"Stop it." Hermione hissed, slapping his arm. Draco looked down at her and noticed that she had thrown on a lime-green tank top.

"Only if you tell me what you did to Longbottom." He looked down into her chocolate brown eyes.

"Up, now." Draco turned around and left the kitchen.

"What was he doing outside of your room?" Harry demanded quietly.

Hermione said the spell to detatch Dudley and said a spell to send him up to his bed.

"I was out for my run and he just showed up." Hermione tried to shrug it off as she reached into the refrigerator for the eggs.

"Hermione, you can't just shrug this off. It's serious." Harry said as he grabbed the spatulas, pans and cutlery.

"What's serious?" Ron asked as he walked into the kitchen scratching his head.

"I came in here and found Malfoy waiting for Hermione." Harry was pissed and he let it show. "I know that you feel sorry for him 'Mione, but we still can not trust him."

"Harry, shut up. Please for once. I know you know that, and I know that we shouldn't, but _please_, just this once?" Hermione didn't want to have to take it anymore.

"Hermione, even _I've_ noticed that he has too much energy that he should. One night's sleep and meal can't do that. Think about it!" Ron urged.

"Guys, just give him a break. I'm gonna go upstairs and take a shower. I will be back in a few minutes to help out with breakfast." Before Harry or Ron could respond, Hermione left the kitchen.

When she got up the stairs near her room she heard noises. Putting her ear to the door, she was able to hear Draco wail out in pain.


	8. For Good

A/N Hey everyone, my friend Nina, inspiration for Nina in The Perfect Makeover, has two _amazing_ stories up that I want you all to read. They are under one of my old pennames, PMS 4EVA, and are called Dear Student #432 and Last Will and Choice. Check them out, they're really good.

Chapter Eight: For Good

Draco left the room as quickly as he could. He felt as hollow as the day before, right before he arrived at the Dursley residence. Yes, Potter's behavior had been laughable, and he was making progress with Hermione, but still, in the end he felt alone.

He went into the bedroom and sat on the bed. He looked around. Everything was going blurry. He suddenly got a sharp pang in his stomach. His breathing became heavy.

'Maybe just a little nap before breakfast,' Draco told himself as he leaned back.

Sleep, unfortunately, wasn't what Draco's body wanted. Almost a second after he closed his eyes, he rushed to the bathroom, threw the toilet seat up, and vomited into the marble bowl.

"WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THAT RUCKUS?" He heard over his coughing.

'Did he hear me?' Draco wondered before another sweep of nausea hit him like a ton of bricks and he found it neccesary to throw his head back over the toilet.

"POTTER!" Oh, thank heavens. From what he could tell yesterday, he did not want to meet Potter's relatives.

Feeling all hints of nausea, or, well, wanting to hurl, Draco stood up, rinsed his mouth once, and walked slowly into the bedroom. Suddenly, he felt smaller than a speck of nothingness. He slid down the wall and sat on the ground.

The sounds of footsteps thundering down the stairs boomed throughout the house, but it all went unnoticed by Draco. Slowly, he felt his world begin to fill with darkness.

"Hermione, what was he doing? And the truth. No more sticking up and makinf excuses for him." Harry demanded.

"POTTER!" Harry, Ron and Hermione jumped up and turned around to see a purple faced Vernon Dursley.

"Mr. Dursley, please calm down. What could Harry have done? He olny just woke up?" Hermione got out in a calm voice.

"We have gone through this already _Hermione_. Butt out of family matters." He barked back.

Harry and Ron made an attempt to leap forward to defend Hermione, but she put her arms out, preventing them from taking more than a half of a step forward.

"And as I have told _you_, sir, Harry is our family." Hermione insisted.

The color rose to Vernon's face. "Just have breakfast ready soon," he said before turning around and leaving the room.

"Harry, I need to take a quick shower. I'll be right back down." Hermione rushed out of the kitchen before Harry or Ron could object.

"Don't worry Ron, we're gonna get our one-on-one time with him soon." Harry assured his friend.

Hermione ran up the stairs, barely avoiding Dudley on the landing. She softly knocked on the door.

"Draco, can I come in?" She whispered. After waiting a bit for a response, she decided that he was sleeping, or in the bathroom. She walked into the room and looked around, Draco was sitting against the wall with his arms wrapped around his legs. "D-Draco? Are you okay?"

No response.

Hermione walked over and kneeled beside him.

"Draco, please say something. You were just smiling ten minutes ago."

"It's all my fault." He mumbled.

"What?"

"It's all my fault. My mother, she wanted me safe. She wanted me happy. She's dead."

Hermione tried almost twenty minutes after to get him to say more, but Draco refused to talk.

Hermione didn't want to leave him alone, but she couldn't let Harry or Ron think anything was wrong and find them there.

"Draco," she whispered, "I told Harry and Ron that I would be back down soon. I don't want them to think that anything is wrong. I will be right back, I promise. I'm just going to change and wet my hair, and I'll come right up with breakfast." Hermione tried to hug him, but it was like hugging a statue.

"Hermione, why don't you just let me take Malfoy his food? This way we don't have to rush as much." Harry said. He took a plate from the counter, grabbed a glass of juice, and ran up the stairs.

"Hermione, come on, let's put everything on the table and start on the chores." Ron suggested as he grabbed a few plates of food and opened the door for Hermione to follow.

"So, Malfoy", Harry started as he placed the plate on the table, "you have information?"

"What's the point?" Draco mumbled into space.

"DAMNIT MALFOY! YOU SAID YOU WOULD ONLY SPEAK TO ME SO SPEAK!" Harry could no longer control his temper.

This was how the rest of the conversation went. Harry would yell, Draco would stare. No more, no less.

At nearly lunchtime, Ron came up into the guestroom. He looked around and saw an angry Harry pacing the floor, a sullen Draco sitting on the floor, and a cold. Untouched plate of breakfast that Harry had thrown to the ground in frustration.

"Harry," Ron whispered, "what's-"

"He won't talk. We should have done this last night." Harry said, exasperated and furious.

"What do you propose we do?" Ron asked.

"I killed her. It's my fault."

"What?"

"That's all he says Ron. 'I killed her, it's my fault'. Every once in a while. I think I heard him say something about how sorry he is to an Ami, but that's it." Harry sighed.

"What do you propose we do?"

"Wait I guess. Maybe Hermione will have an idea." Harry shrugged. He was losing hope.

"No!" Ron looked at his bedt friend. "Malfoy may know where Snape is! He know You-Know-Who's plans! We will _not_ give in to defeat so easily!" He walked over to Malfoy, towering over the beetle-positioned body. His frail arms wrapped around his legs. "TELL US MALFOY! WHAT IS HE PLANNING?"

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" Draco yelled out. "Please," he whispered, "just let me..."

"WHAT? LET YOU WHAT? DIE?" Ron screamed. He threw his arms into the air. "WE SHOULD HAVE! WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT YOU OUT THERE, STARVING ON THE STREETS, ALONE, AFRAID, SHOULD WE HAVE?"

"Ron," Ron and Harry's heads whipped to look in the doorway. Hermione was standing there in disbelief. She would have expected this from Harry, but Ron? She took a step into the room. "Ron, no."

"Hermi-"

"I don't care Harry. Listen, he was like this before I went downstairs. I think he needs to be alone. Why don't you two sit down? You all seem distressed." Hermione mothered. She took Ron's hand and led him to her bed. Harry sat down beside him. "Draco, it isn't your fault your mother died. Voldemort sent you on your mission to die as revenge for your father. Why else would he expect a sixteen year old to do what he was unable to do himself? Your mother died trying to protect you. She wanted you to live."

"No. No. She didn't have to die. I should have. It's all my fault." He muttered.

"Draco, can we start out simple? Please? For me." Hermione looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Hermione?" Ron wanted to know why she was being so understanding to the boy who tried to kill Dumbledore.

"Draco, how long have you been running?"

"Fi-five weeks. The-the day after-after it happened." Draco whispered.

"Okay, that was a good start Draco." Hermione said. She kneeled beside him and tried to take his hands into her's. "How did you know where Harry was?"

"I-I-I was running. I ended up in a muggle village and saw a large boy who said something about Potter. H-he was talking about how his cousin talks about Cedric. I followed him home, but I was so weak that I nearly collapsed over here."

"Draco, did you really go the five weeks without any food?" Hermione asked. This was concern, it had nothing to do with why he was there.

"I fed on what I could steal, sometimes a day or two without food."

"How the mighty have fallen." Ron said coldly.

"Shut up Ron!"

"No Hermione! Why Should I cut him any slack? What has he ever done for us? What could ever have happened to make him deserve any kindness?" Ron was becoming more and more upset.

"Ron, I think Hermione is right." Harry said. "Professor Dumbledore would have shown him nothing but kindness. In fact, that was among his last acts. He tried to offer Malfoy protection."

Draco lifted his head and looked at Harry. "How did you know?"

"I was there." Harry nearly chocked on these wordsw, echos of the fateful night erupting all around him.

"That was why he didn't try to defend himself?" Draco stood up slowly, his weight crushing his legs.

"Yeah, and he woulda done it for you just as quickly."Harry forced out. It was too painful even to think about it.

"I am so sorry." Draco whispered.

"Well sorry won't being him back." Harry spat.

"But it _will_ help clear his consience and then he can help us kill Dumbledore's murderer and destroy Lord Voldemort." Hermione's voice grew stronger with each word. "This time, for good."


	9. The Cabin

A/N THIS IS **_VERY_** IMPORTANT! I'm really sorry about this, I _really_ wanted this to be a realistic-like story and show some ideas of what might actually happen, but I tihnk that I'll cave in just a bit, so sorry to all of you who respected this because it wasn't some prophesy story, not that I don't LOVE those.

Chapter Nine: The Cabin

So I ditched my wand. I left it somewhere I knew it wouldn't be found, but where it would be safe from damage," Draco explained slowly. He was retelling his story to Potter, Weasley and Hermione, reliving every little detail as though it was happening now.

Draco was sitting on the bed beside Hermione who was fighting with every ounce of strength she had not to just hold him in her arms until she had scared all of his demons away.

Harry was sitting on the other bed, his arms resting on each of his legs, his eyes fixated on Malfoy. Ron was sitting at the chair at the desk, leaning back in an almost slouching position.

"Where did you hide it?" Ron asked.

"In some abandoned cabin where I spent my first night. It's a few miles away from my home. It was far enough that I knew no one would go there, let alone think that I would end up in the area. The cabin was broken down, covered in a thick later of dust. It was in a place near a town called Little Hangleton-"

"Little Hangleton?" Harry could not believe the coincidence. "That's where the Riddle House is."

"Riddle? As in _Tom_ Riddle?" Ron nearly fell out of his chair.

"Who?" Draco asked.

"Voldemort's father," explained Hermione quietly.

Everyone sat in silence.

"The meeting was at your house?" Harry questioned.

"Yes. We have a room in the basement, like a large chamber."

"Okay, now I know we've already done this, but can you tell us every-single-unimportant detail."

"Harry, just understood, you now have something in common in common with each other!" Hermione sounded excited. She looked from Harry to Draco. "Draco, you said that when your mother died, well, after, and then Voldemort tried to kill you, there was a blinding light, which was how you escaped, right?"

"Yes."

"WELL DON"T YOU SEE? Guys! Come on! What do you want to bet that Voldemort had a nearby horcux in case something like this happened or something? Draco's mom gave up her life to save his!" Hermione put her hand to Draco's chest and calmed herself down. "Draco, where did he aim his wand?"

Draco placed his hand on her's and pressed it over his heart. Forgetting about Harry and Ron, the two looked into each other's eyes. She could feel his heart beating in her hand. The warmth from his hand was enough to warm up her entire body, yet still send chills down her spine.

Harry, realizing that there was something going on, cleared his throat, snapping Hermione and Draco back into reality.

"Oh, um, yeah, so, Draco, erm, Malfoy, m-may I?" Hermione asked, reaching for the top of his shirt.

Draco nodded, his eyes not leaving her.

Hermione gently pulled down the neck of his shirt, stopping a a spot a bit below his collarbone, Right there, clear as the scar on Harry's head, was Draco's own scar in the shape of what looked like fire shooting from the bone.

"So Harry, seems like your scar isn't so one-of-a-kind anymore." Hermione said quietly.

"What does that mean?" Ron asked.

"Well, remember first year when Quirril couldn't touch Harry?" Hermione tried to explain.

"So-so-"

"So right when he's finally able to touch me..." Harry trailed off after interrupting Ron.

Hermione replied with a small nod.

"So after next week when we go to the wedding, shit, the wedding!"

"Hermione, did you just curse?" Draco let out a small chuckle.

"Hermione?" Harry questioned. What in the world was going on?

"What are we going to do with him when we have to go to the wedding?" Hermione wondered, ignoring both comments.

"Well we can't take him with us!" Ron exclaimed. He practically fell out of his chair.

"We have no other choice Ron. Where else are we going to keep him?" Hermione didn't want to be the one to say it, but someone had to. "Hogwarts isn't exactly open, I'm positive of what the Dursleys will say about it, and, and-"

"I'll think about it." Ron said, knowing where Hermione was leading, and not wanting to upset Harry even further.

"What's going on? What wedding?" Draco asked.

"Nothing, none of your concern."

"Ron, calm down. We don't know anything yet." Hermione said. "Guys, it's almost lunchtime. Why don't I go down and get something for us? I can conjure something up for your family, Harry."

"No, Hermione." Ron said, standing up. "We'll go down. You did all the chores this morning."

Hermione nodded as she watched Harry and Ron leave the room silently.

Hermione and Draco sat in silence for a few minutes, making sure that they were the only people on the floor.

"I know that I said this before, but I'm-"

"Stop it. JUST STOP IT!" Hermione's face was hidden by her hair, but the bits that Draco could see were red.

"Her-"

"Please Draco. I know what happened before and I don't want to have to explain anything the Harry or Ron that might make them believe that something may have happened between us."

"But something did." He tried to reach out to cup her face in his hand.

"No,"

"And I think that I-"

"I swear that if you finish that sentence the same way Ignatius did-"

"Fell in love with you."

SMACK

Hermione slapped Draco's face and jumped up. He stood up to look her into the eyes, those beautiful brown eyes, but she quickly made her way to the other side of the room.

"No. No, don't come near me!" She couldn't face him. She had fallen for him, but how could she know if it was love if she...how could she even know period? She was seventeen years old! (A/N P.S. Hermione's birthday id in September, yet she is older than Harry. Does that mean that September is the cutoff month for the grades? Am I the only person who's confused?) How could a seventeen-year-old know what love even was?

"Hermione, please, just listen to me." He strode across the room and grabbed her hands, cupping them together and bringing them to his chest, before she could move away from him. "I could have gone to McGonagall or Hogwarts. I could have gone to the Ministry. I could have gone anywhere but here, which I did."

Hermion's head shot up. He went somewhere before here? Why didn't her tell them?

"I went to your house. And before that I went to the stick in the mud Weasley calls home. I thought you would be there. You were the one I wanted to be with."

"So you could lead the Death Eaters to a mudblood like myself. Along with a Blood Traitor and The Boy Who Lived, not to mention a family of muggles, it would be like Christmas in July." Hermioe couldn't believe this!

"Nonono! That's not it! I swear!" No! She _had_ to believe him! He let her hands free and she took a step back.

"Whatever. You're here to give us information and give us information only. Your mother creates come kind of protection on you from Voldemort and you're automatically a good guy?" Hermione threw her arms into the air. " Come o-"

Draco pressed his lips against hers'. He pressed his body against her's, pushing it into the wall gently. The kiss was passionate, yet so intense she forgot about the past five minutes, six years, and most importantly, herself. She opened her mouth slightly, but he did not take advantage of it and let his yearning tongue into her mouth. Hermione's hands slowly snaked up his chest and around his neck. For all they knew, they were the only people in the world.

"WHY THE HELL IS THERE A RUDDY OWL IN MY HOUSE?"


	10. Tea Time

Chapter Ten: Tea Time

Hermione and Draco's heads separated so quickly, it was as though they had been electrocuted. Hermione looked flustered as she tried to fix her creased shirt and tried to focus her attention on the door.

"I'll be right back," Hermione whispered, not even turning to look at Draco. She was about to run out the door when Draco did something she didn't expect.

"Hermione," Draco looked into her her eyes as he held her hand, "I've always been a good guy. I just never knew it," Hermione stuttered, trying to say something, but words could not come to her lips, "until I knew you."

Hermione did the only thing to keep herself from kissing him again and left the room.

While running down the stairs Hermione was able to catch a bit of a conversation between Harry and his uncle in the kitchen. She saw the reflection of a red head in the living room.

"Ron, what's going on?" Hermione asked as she walked into the room.

"Well if you're down here, then I assum you heard enough," Ron said as calmly as possible, though Hermione could tell that he was a bit nervous.

"I'll be right back," Hermione said before heading to the kitchen.

"Those ruddy owls are going to be the end of your staying here!" That was Mr. Dursley.

"I'm leaving here after my birthday anyway, Uncle Vernon!" And there was Harry.

"But that ruddy well doesn't mean that you can be as..._abnormal_ as you are? People will know what you are and that I'm associated with you!" Oh that Vernon Dursley sure did know how to piss her off!

"Harry, Mr. Dursley," Hermione walked into the kitchen before Harry got too angry.

"GET OUT!" Vernon yelled.

"Excuse me, but no sir. I do not want to be rude, but I have held my tongue to you for the past few weeks, my entire time here to be exact and for once I think I will speak my mind." Hermione inhaled deeply. "Sir, you-"

"Don't bother Hermione." Harry stormed towards her and grabbed her arm, bringing her to where Ron was. "I'll talk to you later Uncle Vernon!" Harry called over his shoulder.

"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione asked.

"I just got a letter from the ministry." Harry's eyes looked cold. "Scrimegeor wants me to come to a meeting."

"Just say that you're busy, or that your family needs you to protect them, or-"

"Hermione, I'm not stupid," Harry snapped without thinking. "Oh, Hermione, I am so sorry."

Hermione sighed. "Whatever Harry. Just tell me what the note said?"

"He says that so I can't elude him he's coming to pick me up personally," Harry sneered.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other. They hadn't seen Harry this upset in a while.

"Don't worry, you'll get through this, mate," Ron patted Harry on the back/shoulder, "you always do."

"Yeah," Hermione put her hand on harry's shoulder to join Ron's. "You're the Great Harry Potter. You can get through anything."

"Yeah, that's right," Harry turned around, his face reddening. "I can get through a whole day without Volvemort haunting my every thought! I can get through a whole year without having my heart broken! I can get through a whole summer without knowing that all that is to come is all my fault! I CAN GET THROUGH ANYTHING!" Harry's nostrils were flaring and he inhaled deeply.

"HARRY POTTER!" The boys turned to face Hermione, wio also seemed quite upset. "How _dare_ you tihnk those things? How dare you even be sarcastic about the situations! You are _not_ the center of all that is wrong in the world, so don't you dare even think it!"

This was going too far. Harry was always full of such self hatred anytime something bad happened. The entire time Hermione had known him, he always felt that he had to do with _everything_.

"She's actually right Harry," Ron said quietly. "You broke your own heart. Mind you, if we weren't already best friends, I'd be your's right now for doing what you did, breaking up with Ginny for her safety and all, but you did it. You also aren't the only one who's thoughts You-Know-Who haunts. To tell you the truth, this is just like when we were in our fifth year, staying at Grim-Sirius's house."

Harry was taken aback by this. Why was Ron bringing up Sirius?

"You have to face it, man. It wasn't your fault, he wanted to come. Not to mention the fact that you have to face that he's dead. What I'm saying now, though, is that this is just like when you thought that you were the one who bit dad and just locked yourself in our room, refusing to speak to anyone."

"Just sitting there in your self pity," Hermione spat out.

This took _both_ boys by surprise.

"Okay, Hermione, what's with you?" Harry asked. "First you come this close to yelling at and insulting my uncle, then you go and take your anger out on me. What's up?"

"Nothing, I-I'm just not feeling well," Hermione replied shyly. She wasn't going to let the guys know what had just happened upstairs.

"Come on, Hermione, you can tell us." Ron took her to the couch by the hand and sat down beside her with Harry sitting on the coffee table in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." She gave them a weak smile. "I just can't wait for all of this to be over so we can go back to lead-well, _not_ leading _our_ normal lives." She giggled.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what it feels like to not know that at this very moment, Voldemort could be plotting how to kill us." Harry laughed softly.

"Well don't worry guys. It'll all be over soon." Ron took both their hands and looked them each in the eye.

Harry's face lit up. He knew that with his friends by his side, Voldemort will be gone form their lives forever.

"Mr. Potter?" The three looked at the fireplace where a large man stood. "It's time to go."

"Minister, wouldn't you rather conduct your meeting here?" Hermione suggested.

"I am sorry Miss Granville,"

"Granger."

"Granger, but this is a most important meeting and we will need the most amount of privacy." The minister walked over to Harry.

"Sir, he _is_ going to tell us what goes on in the meeting," Hermione said. Ron didn't want to say anything in case he took it out on his father. "This would just save us the trouble of getting the less bias version."

"Fine, then how about I tell you a bit of what will be discussed, Miss _Granger_." Hermione glared at Scrimegeor. "Would you happen to know of the whereabouts of a Draco Malfoy? Or perhaps you know what it feels like to kiss him."

Hermione gasped. Ron looked ready to pounce on Scrimegeor. Harry was just frozen, looking at Hermione with a disbelieving expression on his face.

"I-I'm sorry sir, but how would you know of Malfoy's whereabouts? He is not here, and if he was we would have killed him by now. He isn't exactly a welcome person, especially in our presence." Hermione said strongly.

"We have been watching this house for several weeks now. One night ago at aproximately seven-twenty-two in the evening, a Mister Draco Malfoy was seen entering Number Four Privet Drive. The next morning he was seen leaving, approximately ten minutes after yourself, Miss Granger, then seen in your sompany uppon returning here."

"You've been _spying_ on us?" Harry asked, finally finding his voice.

"Well how else would we know of Mr. Potter's plans for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Scrimegeor smiled a cocky smile. "Now Mr. Potter, would you care to acompany me to my office?"

"No."

"Be that way," the minister pulled out his wand and conjured up a throne-like chair facing the couch. Harry had toturn his head to face him, but refused to. "Have some tea." He poured a brown liquid from a teapot he had conjured up into a teacup, also conjured.

"I'm not stupid," was all Harry said before standing up and walking up the stairs. He and Malfoy had some things they needed to discuss.

"My, my. What manners!" Hermione and Ron just glared at him (Scrimegeor).

"Well can you possibly blame him?" Hermione huffed. She stood up, towering but a few inches above Scrimegeor's head. "You barge into his home! You accuse me of doing something as disgusting and wrong! Why on Earth would I want to kiss Malfoy? Plus you accuse us of harboring a fugitive! (A/N is that the right word?) The same fugitive Harry watched kill his-his-his _friend_!" Hermione pointed at the door leading to the entrance hall. "Get out. NOW!"

"Well i can see that birds of a feather fly together Miss Granger. Children just don't know respect anymore." CRACK And he was gone.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief. He was gone, for now, but now was now and that was all she needed. Taking out her wand, she pointed it up at the ceiling, screwed up her face, and a bright orange light flew from her wand.

"Ron, please look out the window," she said in a sickly sweet voice as she walked to the Entrance Hall and looke dout the door.

Sure enough she saw at least five men and women appear out of nowhere, looking aorund curiously at each other.

"NOW LISTEN HERE! I DON'T CARE IF SCRIMERGEOR SENT YOU, BUT IF YOU DO NOT STOP FOLLOWING AND WATCHING US, THERE WILL BE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES!" Hermione slammed the door shut and heard several 'Cracks'. She walked beck into the room where Ron was to ask him if he saw anyone.

"What's going on with you and Malfoy? And I want the truth."


	11. What About Us

Chapter Eleven: What About Us?

"Why are you here?"

Draco looked up at the figure in the ddorway. Harry came storming into the room the second he saw that Draco had seen him. He leaned down swiftly so that his eyes were level with Draco's.

"What?" Draco was thrown off by the question. "I already to-"

"NO!" Harry slammed his hand on the wall. "WHY ARE YOU _HERE_?"

Then it clicked. Potter wanted to know why he came running to the 'Golden Trio' rather than the ministry.

"I knew you would help me." Draco stood up, Harry's head following to keep the constant eye contact. "You wouldn't turn me over to the dementors."

Harry scoffed. "The dementors would be too good to you." His voice was dripping with venom. His eyes were squinted and filled with pure hatred.

"You don't know how much I agree," replied Draco. His eyes squinted slightly, but filled with hatred for himself rather than Harry, that and tears he refused to allow fall.

"Rufus Scrimegeor just left," Harry's fingers itched into fists and clenched his teeth. "He was asking about you."

"So this is your version of a good-bye, I assume," Draco lifted his eyebrow. He held out his hand, "good bye. Thank you for allowing me to stay w-"

"We told him you weren't here."

Draco froze, not that he was moving before. He looked at Harry with an expression neither could understand. It looked like a combination of confusion, surprise, thankfullness and joy. It felt like admiration, respect, and gratitude.

"Thank you," Draco whispered.

It was all that needed to be said, until Harry remembered why he was up there in the first place.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I knew you would take me in."

Both boys' voices were soft, getntle, and somewhat friendly and understanding. They were knowing, but unaware. Their faces were blank as they stared straight into the other's eyes, refusing to break contact.

"And Hermione had nothing to do with it?" Harry denied his face the yearn to scowl, to sneer, to turn red and match the extreme volume his voice wanted to reach.

Draco was shocked. How could Potter have found out? Did Hermione tell him? No. She would never. But, how then?

"Granger is a mudblood. She is someone infereior to me." Draco's heart beat ferociously (A/N sorry if that's spelled wrong, my spellcheck doesn't work for this, and only this, document) as the words passed through his lips. "I would never go to such filth for help. You're bad enough."

Harry noticed the increase in Draco's breathing. His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched. He felt as his eyes shot open in hatred and he lunged at Draco.

Draco felt as his head crashed against the bedroom wall with Harry's hand on his throat.

"Dont you _ever_ speak of her that way." Harry was filled with so much emotion and it was all coming out. "Oh, and by the way," Harry tilted his head in a cynical way, his voice filled with an insane and possessive tone, "Scrimegeor asked her what it was like to kiss you when she was was rude to him and demanded to know what would be going on in my meeting with him."

"Potter, you're crazy," Draco choked out. Harry had been subconsiously applying force onto Draco's throat. He pushed Harry's hand away.

Harry realized what he was doing and let his hand fall. "Sorry," he mumbled. "_But what the hell were you doing kissing **Hermione**_?"

"I never did," Draco whispered simply. He forced a look of distain onto his face.

"Hermione, tell me the truth," Ron had taken Hermione to the closet under the stairs.

"I _am_ Ron," Hermione exclaimed. She'd had to drag him into the closet so that they wouldn't be interrupted

"Then why the bloody hell did Scrimegeor say that you kissed him? Why did you two come back form your run together? Why did _he_ come back from _your_ run? Why have you been defending and babying him the entire time that he's been here." Ron was furious. The volume of his voice was raising rapidly.

"Ron, SHIT UP!" Ron wasn't the only one who was pissed off. "There is _nothing_ between us!"

"THEN WHY ARE YOUR EYES WATERING? WHY ARE YOU NOT SLAPPING ANYONE? WHY THE HELL ARE YOU NOT AS ANGRY AS YOU'RE TRYING TO BE?" Ran took in a deep breath. "Herm, do you like him?"

Hermione ddin't freeze. Instead, she calmed down and felt her body move into a more relaxed pose. "Ron-"

"What about me? What about _us_?" A tear escaped from Ron's eye.

"Ron," Hermione leaned forward and wiped the tear with her thumb and looked up at her best friend.


	12. Spellbound

Chapter Twelve: Spellbound

"Ron," Draco heard Hermione say from the stairs. After he told Potter for the last time that Scrimegeor was messing with him. He looked around the wall at Hermione who was speaking with Weasley.

"Hermione," He heard Weasley whisper back to her. His voice was soft and weak.

"No, Ron, listen to me, _please_." Hermione sounded heartbroken. "You mean the world to me, you know that."

"Then why are you going off kissing other guys?"

"So the minister said I kissed someone. Are you going to believe everything he says?" Hermoine sighed as Draco felt a slight pang in his chest. How many times was he going to be hurt? It didn't take a genious to figure out what they were talking about. Hermione must have made a promise to Weasley that she would go out with him. Why did e have to wait until _now_ to let her know how he felt?

"You promised me Hermione," Draco snapped out of his thoughts. "We were supposed to be together after this whole mess."

"We said that we would try something when it was all over, Ron."

He couldn't take anymore of this, Draco turned around and walked back up the stairs as quickly and soundlessly as he could. Unfortunately, Hermione and Ron, after many years of alwas being on the lookout, heard the soft footsteps retreating up the stairs.

Hermione looked Ron in the eyes and dropped his hands, which she had been holding up to her chest (in a loving way with his hand balled into hers'). Ron stared back.

"Look's like your boyfriend overheard us," Ron said, He walked past Hermione and went up the stairs.

Hermione stood where she was, contemplating what had just happened.

'He doesn't know,' she thought to herself. 'He can't know. He's never believe Scrimegeor.'

"We can never be together, you know that right?"

"Sorry meate, I don't swing that way." Harry was sitting on his bed, looking out the window while Ron was pacing around the room. "Plus I'm a little in love with your sister if you don't remember."

"Malfoy!" Ron flopped onto his bed. "Why Malfoy?"

"Do you want me to insert another gay joke, or are you going to start ranting?"

"Why does Hermione have to kiss _him_ of all people?" He hid his face in his hands. "_Malfoy_!"

"I know Ron," Harry grumbled, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

"What is it about him that makes him so irresistable?" Ron exclaimed.

"I donlt know Ron."

"Ha-" Harry and Ron turned to the door where Hermione's head was sticking in. "Oh, hi Ron." She looked back at Harry. "I'll talk to you later. I just wanted to tell you that I had an idea for how to defeat Voldemort." She pulled her head quickly out of the room and walked as fast as she could into her room, nearly slamming the door behind her.

"Hermione," Draco breathed. He walked over to her and took her hand in his. "I am so sorry. I didn't know about you and-" hatred filled his body.

Hermione could see that this was paining Draco to say this. "Draco, shut up."

Before he even saw the smile on her face he felt her lips press gently against his.

Knock Knock

"Hermione, can I come in?"

Hermione, who had already separated from her lips from Draco's, turned around and called out: "Just a minute Harry!" She looked at Draco and hissed, "go! Don't leave the room, though. Um, balcony! Go!" She shoved him quickly out the window and onto the extra bit of space big enough for two Vernon Dursleys and closed one of the windows. As soon as she reached the bathroom sink she heard Harry say that he was coming in.

"Hermione?" He called out.

"In here, Harry." Hermione emerged from the bathroom in nothing but the first towel she could find, which barely covered her butt. "Sorry, I was just getting ready to take a shower." She used her free hand to try to fix her disheveled hair. "What's up?"

"First off, why are you so out of breath?" Harry asked, trying to keep eye contact with her.

"Wha-oh, you startled me before." Hermione tried to explain. "Didn't you hear me fall?"

"Wha-no! You did? Did you hurt yourself?" Harry asked concerned. He looked around her for a bruise or sore spot, trying to avoid looking where he shouldn't be.

"No, don't worry. I caught myself in time." Hermione told him as she tightened the towel. "Um, what was the other thing?"

"Oh, uh, I was just wondering what you wanted to tell me." Harry walked around the room with his eyes looking for something that might be able to hint whether or not there was something Hermione was keeping from them.

"I-I," Hermione wanted to tell Harry the truth so badly. She was looking for Harry before for comfort. "Turn around."

Harry turned around and Hermione scrimaged through her trunk for something to throw on. She settled with a large T-shirt and boxers, deciding to go comando to save time.

"Harry, I did something bad," Hermione said. Harry turned around and looked at her as she slid her arms under his and wrapped them around his stomach. He returned by wrapping his strong arms around her, over her arms. She began to sob softly into his chest.

"Shh, don't cry 'Mione," Harry whispered. "Don't cry."

"I placed a spell on Draco."


	13. HORCUXES!

Chapter Thirteen: HORCUXES!

Draco watched through the window, being careful not to be seen. Hermione was crying on Wonder-Boy's chest. He should be in there with her, making all her fears and sorrow go away.

He pressed his ear against the glass to see if he could hear snipits of what was going on, but the glass was so thick and he couldn't hear anything.

"Hermione, what do you mean?" Harry comforted Hermione, hoping that Ron wouldn't come in at a wrong time.

"It isn't as bad as it sounds." Hermione sniffed and wiped the tears off her face. "It was just something th relax him and stuff, that's why he's been so, well, not how he should be."

"Like how he was smiling before?" Harry asked. He was finally getting it.

"Exactly!"

"_Why_ Hermione?"

Hermione never thought this would ever come out, especially before she was able to think of a story for why.

"Er, um, well, please promise me that you won't overreact?" Hermione looked up at Harry.

"Hermione," Harry said in a stern voice, "what did you do?"

"Well, do you remember last year when I used to go off to the library even after I had finished with my homework?"

"Please don't tell me-"

"Draco saved my life."

"You!"

Ron turned around and saw Dudley waddle into the kitchen. He slammed the refrigerator door shut and looked at the obese pig on his hind legs.

"What do you want?" Ron asked, taking a bite of the turkey leg in his hand.

"Mum wants the hedges trimmed and the rest of the weeds pulled." Dudley pushed past the tall redhead and opened the refrigerator door.

Ron rolled his eyes and walkedout of the room muttering to himself.

"Harry? Hermione?" Ron knocked on the door to Hermione and, ugh, Malfoy's room.

He pressed his ear to the door to hear if they were there.

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" That was Harry's voice.

"He saved my life." Hermione was in trouble? When?

"That part I heard, though I ws hoping I hadn't, but what happened? When did this happen?"

'Should I go in?' Ron asked himself.

"During the Yule Ball I was trapped under one of the Slytherin banners. I know it doesn't sound as bad as it was, but it was really heavy-"

Harry chuckled. "Hermione, you are adorable." He paused. "Hey, haha, don't give me that look. You know we've all been in more dangerous situations."

"Okay, well, um, after that we sorta became, erm, friends-ish."

'What could they be talking about?' Draco asked himself from the balcony.

All of a sudden the window opened up and Hermione's head shot out.

"Draco?" she whispered, looking around.

"Over here," he walked over to her.

"Sh, Harry's in the bathroom," Hermione looked up at him and took his hand in her's. "I told him about the other year."

"_What_? You told him about Ignatious and Clarice?" Draco couldn't beileve Hermione would do something like that.

"No!" She whispered. "That is our story, not his, but I told him about our friendship. All I told him though was that you saved me from the banner and that something started."

Draco felt his heart leap out of his chest. He was so happy that she would do something like this. It proved to him how much he meant to her. "Really?"

"This doesn't change anything between us Dra-Malfoy." Hermione was stern as she kept her senses sharp for when Harry stopped hitting his head on the mirror. "You're still going to leave as soon as wewe get in touch with the Order."

"But-"

"No." Hermione couldn't believe she was doing this. "And when the fight against Voldemort is over you will leave me alone and we will never hear from each other again." She went back into the room and closed the window.

"Hermione, we need to talk."

Hermione whipped her head around and saw Ron standing in the doorway.

Harry chose that moment to come out of the bathroom rubbing his head.

"I think I have an idea," Ron said. Hermione quietly looked at Ron and motioned for him to tell them. "Hermione, you might want to change into jeans first, or at least some working clothes. The Dursleys want us to finish weeding and trim the hedges."

"Just tell us the idea first Ron," Hrary said, feeling tension fill up the room.

"Okay. We give You-Kno-Voldemort Malfoy who has a curse placed on him so that when he dies he takes out the entire room with him." Ron smiled at his brilliant plan and looke dat his two friends, waiting for their responses.

"That's brilliant!" Hermione said all of a sudden.

Harry stared at Hermione. Ron wanted to comit her to St. Mungo's after kissing her first.

"Er, Hermione," Harry made a face at Hermione letting her know what he was thinking.

"No, Harry, I don't understand why we didn't think of it before!" Hermione jumped up with an excited expression. "Genious Ron!"

"Um, Hermione, would you care to elaborate on why you think that it would be a good idea to turn an, um, innocent boy over toVoldemort?" Harry asked slowly.

"Don't you understand?" Hermione looked from Harry to Ron. She ran over to the window and pulled Draco inside the room. "Malfoy, tell the guys what happened when Voldemort tried to kill you!"

Draco looked at teh trio with a confused look on his face. "Um, my mother leapt in front of me-"

"And then there was a bright light next time he tried, right?"

"Yeas, but-OH! I get it now!" Draco smiled.

"Wait, what's going on?" Ron looked at Harry, who was beginning to understand.

"We send Malfoy in, pretending to give in and whatever. Voldemort should be almost dead again, like when he came after me, only this time he has somewhere to go, or at least someone who he can 'Quirril'!" Harry smiled at Hermione. "You're a genious!" He wrapped his arms around her and swung her around. They were finally going to be rid of Voldemort!

"There's one snag, though." Hermione said, causing Harry to feeze in place. "Locket,"

"Ring"

"Diary"

"HORCUXES!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Harry paced around the room, mumbling to himself every few minutes. Draco was sitting on his bed with his hands clasped in his lap, staring out the window and thought about his mother. Hermione was sitting on the table beside Ron who was on the chair.

Hermione caught Draco trying to catch her eye a few times, but refused to look at him. She could barely bare not telling him about placing a spell on him and not telling Ron that they used to be friends. She would have to be careful from now on how she behaved towards him.

"Okay, so we know what to do, why don't you just come up with one of those famous mystery plans?" Draco finally asked, tired of watching Harry's sanity slowly fade away.

"Why are you so damn energetic Malfoy?" Ron asked suspiciously.

Harry looked at Hermione, but didn't say anything.

Draco thought to himself, not quite understanding either. "Um, I don't know." He looked at his feet. "I just know that when H-Gr-"

"Hermione," Harry told him.

Draco took a quick glance at Hermione, who tried not to return it. "When Hermione was done questioning me while you freaked out in the other room and I fell asleep, it was like i was facing the death of my-my mother again-" his voice trailed off as he tried to hold in the tears filled his eyes.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. In one swift motion she was off the bed and kneeling on front of Draco. She held his hands in one of hers and his cheek in the other. She saw every sparkle form his flooded eyes as the beautiful blue specks were magnified.

Draco summoned up all his strength and looked at Harry. "When I woke up I felt as though I had been sleeping for a year. All my energy was back, and it was easier to face the pain. I-I don't know wh-"

"Hermione," everyone looked at Harry. "May I please speak with you outside?"

Hermione slowly got up, her eyes not leaving the floor, and walked out of the room, followed by Harry.

As soon as the door was closed he looked at her and wondered what he was going to say. "Hermione," she looked up at him, "he keeps looking at you."

"I know."

"You kissed him."

"I know."

"Ron's been into you since we were kids."

"I know."

"You have to do something."

"I know."

"When we all go in, he might not come out."

"What the hell is going on here?"

Hermione and Harry turned and looked at the pig waddling up toward them.

"Please go away Dudley," Hermione sighed.

Dudley stopped in his tracks. Up until then she had been nothing but confident every time she spoke to him, but now she seemed defeated., and he wasn't he only one who noticed.

"Hermione, why don't you go back inside? I'll be there in a moment." Harry told her softly. He put his hand on her arm and smiled at her. She smiled back before turning to go into the room.

"What do you want Dudley?" Harry asked.

"Mum wants you to finish your chores and dad wants you to turn seventeen."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Dudley, we're trying to figure out how to save your life. I'm sure aunt Petunia wouldn't mind if we took a few more minutes in there."

At that moment Draco stepped out of the room and looked at the sight before him.

"Whose that?" Dudley demanded.

"What are you doing out here?" Harry asked. He wanted to be nice, for Hermione's sake, but it was hard every time he saw his face and thought about Dumbledore's death.

"Hermione needs you," he replied simply.

Harry sighed. This was weird.

"How do _you_ know Hermione?" Dudley demanded. "And what are you doing in my house?"

Draco thought for a moment. "I'm a cousin of Harry's. His godfather was my mother's cousin and since his parents died, in the wizarding world he is automatically his godfather's-"

"_What_ did you just say?" Dudley asked. His eyes were like saucers as he took a step back. "Y-you're one of _them_?"

Draco didn't know what do say.

"Yes, Dudley," Harry thankfully stepped in. "he's my cousin and he needs my help."

Dudley looked darkly, yet terrified, at Draco before trying to regain his composure. "Well just make sure father doesn't hear you use that sort of language." With that he walked away and ran down the stairs.

Harry looked at Draco. They stood there in silence until Harry finally asked, "Was that true?"

Draco looked at Harry. "Yes."

"I know about you and Hermione."

"Oh."

"Your secret's safe with me."

"Does this mean we have to hug?"

"No."

"Thank god."

"You're telling me."

They stood in silence for another few minutes, neither knowing what to say or do.

"So you said something about Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Oh, um, yeah. She told me to come out here and get you. She said she had an idea for the horcuxes."

The two walked back into the room and saw Hermione and Ron sitting on opposite sides of the room. Both of their faces were somber and neither one spoke. Harry rushed between them, not knowing which one to go to first and Draco took a seat on the bed, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

"Draco," damn, "Harry, can you guys please come over here?" Harry and Draco walked over to Hermione, who was looking at a map of England that took up the entire desk. "Put your hands together and tell me if you feel a pull anywhere on the map or any pains in your scars." The two boys slowly put their hands together and felt a small charge. "While you do that I'm gonna start thinking of major murders, items and anything that could help lead us somewhere."

"Y'know, Harry could have done it on his own," Ron said from across the room. "I don't get why we toil away for weeks here, just preparing for the fight, but the second Malfoy shows up we start looking for horcuxes."

Hermione didn't say anything, but watched Harry and Draco's hands as they moved around above the map.

"We have a lead now R-"

"Just ignore him, Harry. He's being immature."

"Are you two fighting again?" Harry sighed.

"No," Hermione replied. "Ronald is just being immature and overreacting, as usual."

Harry rolled his eyes, but began to feel a sensation. He looked at Draco, who obviously was feeling it as well.

"He's pissed."

"And we don't mean drunk."


End file.
